CD180 expression and T cell percentage correlation in Chronic Lymphocytic Leukaemia (CLL) cells.

Author: Nino Maisuradze
Co-authors: Tamar Tsertsvadze
Keywords: Chronic Lymphocytic Leukaemia, immunophenotyping, Prognostic role of CD180
Annotation:

Background: Chronic Lymphoblastic Leukaemia (CLL) is a heterogenic disease with genetic characteristics and immunophenotype as well, that heterogeneity is displayed on the prognosis of the patients. Our group has shown that CD180, one of the member of Toll-like receptors (TLR) family, is heterogeneously expressed on CLL cells. Higher expression of CD180 is characteristic to the group of patients with better prognosis. The later stages of CLL often is accompanied by strong T cell deficit, in a given work we tried to enhance our understanding about functional connection between CD180+ leukemic and CD3+ T cells. Methodology: Assessment of cell surface markers was done by immunophenotyping with the help of flow cytometry (FACScan, beckton & Dicinson), recognized value of B-cell receptor signaling pathway regulator molecules: CD5 was presented as negative regulator and CD19 as positive regulator. Results: according to the obtained results CD180 expression level positively correlates with CD3 expression level (r= 0.77, p=0.0001). But simultaneously the percentage CD180+ cells negatively correlates with CD3+ cell level (r=0.483, p=0.04). Both this correlation reveal as a possible role of CD180+ cells in T cell deficiency in CLL. Discussion: According to the data of our group’s previous studies, CD180 binding is followed by expression of B-cell surface activation marker CD86, which can connect to the CD3+ T cell markers CD28 or CTLA-4, in the first case it lead to T cell activation, in another case to T cell destruction. CLL is characterized to have low CD28 and high CTLA-4 expression levels, which can explain direct correlation between CD180 and CD3 expression intensity. Conclusion: Based on the obtained results suggested assumptions indicate possible key role of CD180 in the developing of Immunodeficiency during CLL, and respectively the prognostic value of CD3 and CD180 expression levels in patients with chronic Lymphocytic Leukaemia.