Classical
Hodgkin lymphoma (HL) is characterized by the presence of Hodgkin and Reed-Sternberg cells (H&RS) and a prominent lymphocytic infiltration. We previously reported Hodgkin-like
adult T-cell leukemia/lymphoma (HL-like
ATLL) (new WHO classification). Various CXC and
CC chemokines are expressed on H&RS cells and the relationships between
chemokines and the
chemokine receptor (R) are thought to be important for selectivity of local immunity of Th1 and Th2 T cells. To clarify the role of T-cell immunity in classical HL and Hodgkin-like
ATLL, we performed gene expression profiling (
chemokine,
chemokine R and
cytokine DNA chips) in 12 cases [classical HL, 8 cases [mixed cellularity (MC) type, 4; nodular
sclerosis (NS) type, 4]; Hodgkin-like
ATLL, 4 cases] and immunohistochemical staining in 29 cases (MC, 10; NS, 10; Hodgkin-like
ATLL, 9). EBV-infected H&RS cells were detected in 9 of 10 cases of HL MC, 5 of 9 of HL-like
ATLL and 2 of 10 HL NS. T-cell-directed
chemokine thymus- and activation-regulated chemokine (TARC)- and/or
macrophage-derived chemokine (MDC)-positive H&RS cells were detected in all 20 cases of HL MC and HL NS but only in 5 of 9 cases of HL-like
ATLL.
Interferon-gamma-inducible protein-10 (IP10)- and monokine induced by
interferon-gamma (MIG)-positive H&RS cells were detected in all 10 HL MC but only in 5 of 10 cases of HL NS and 2 of 9 cases of HL-like
ATLL. However, 2 of 5 cases of HL-like
ATLL with
EBV infection and 2 of 2 HL NS with EBV had IP10/MIG-positive H&RS cells. The
chemokine expressions in H&RS cells seemed to be associated with
EBV infection rather than histologic subtypes. In the
DNA chip expression analysis, classical HL and HL-like
ATLL had a mixed Th1/Th2-type profile, and HL MC (EBV-positive) and HL NS (EBV-negative) were differentially clustered. However, 2 cases of HL-like
ATLL clustered with HL MS and the other 2 cases of HL-like
ATLL clustered with HL NS. The former HL-like
ATLL had
EBV infection in H&RS cells, whereas the latter did not have
EBV infection. This finding also suggests that EBV might influence local expression of
chemokines rather than HL subtypes. Our results indicate that local immunologic disorder or imbalance appears to influence the formation of H&RS cells and that in HL-like
ATLL, HTLV-1
infection might not be necessary for H&RS cell formation.