Chemokine Receptor Expression by Leukemic T Cells of Cutaneous T-Cell Lymphoma: Clinical and Histopathological Correlations

Chemokine receptors expressed by normal and neoplastic lymphocytes provide an important mechanism for cells to traffic into the skin and skin-associated lymph nodes. The goal of this study was to correlate chemokine receptor and CD62L expression by circulating neoplastic T cells with the clinical and pathological findings of the leukemic phase of cutaneous T-cell lymphoma, primarily Sézary syndrome (SS). Chemokine receptor mRNA transcripts were found in the majority of leukemic cells for CCR1, CCR4, CCR7, CCR10, CXCR3, and CD62L and in 20–50% of the samples for CXCR5. In patients with SS, relatively high expression levels of CCR7 and CCR10 by circulating neoplastic T cells correlated with epidermotropism, CXCR5 expression correlated with density of the dermal infiltrate, and CD62L correlated with extent of lymphadenopathy. Of note, CXCR5 expression and a dense dermal infiltrate correlated with a poor prognosis. The chemokine receptor profile supports the concept that neoplastic T cells are central memory T cells, and that CCR10 and CD62L play a fundamental role respectively in epidermotropism and lymphadenopathy that is observed in SS.