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CD7 expression in reactive and malignant human skin T-lymphocytes
Mauro Alaibac1, Barbara Pigozzi, Anna Belloni-Fortina
1Unit of Dermatology, University of Padua, Via C. Battisti 206, 35128, Padua, Italy. mauro.alaibac@unipd.it
Anticancer Research
|August 5, 2003
Summary
CD7 deletion is not a reliable marker for diagnosing cutaneous T cell lymphomas. CD7-negative T cells are common in both benign and malignant skin infiltrates, challenging previous diagnostic assumptions.
Area of Science:
- Immunodermatology
- Oncology
- Cellular Immunology
Background:
- CD7 is typically expressed on most CD4+ T cells.
- CD7 deficiency is a proposed marker for cutaneous T cell lymphoma (CTCL).
- CD4+CD7- T cells can also increase in benign inflammatory skin conditions.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate CD7 expression in CTCL and benign T cell-mediated dermatoses.
- To determine the reliability of CD7 deletion as a diagnostic marker for skin T cell infiltrates.
Main Methods:
- Immunohistochemical analysis of CD7 expression on frozen skin sections.
- Study included 45 patients with CTCL and various inflammatory dermatoses.
- Compared CD7 expression relative to CD3-positive T cells.
Main Results:
- Scarce CD7 expression was observed in inflammatory skin conditions.
- Both reactive and malignant T cell components in CTCL showed reduced CD7 expression.
- CD7-negative T cells were more prevalent in both benign and neoplastic T cell infiltrates than previously thought.
Conclusions:
- CD7 deletion is not a definitive diagnostic criterion for immunohistological diagnosis of T cell-mediated skin infiltrates.
- The presence of CD7-negative T cells is common in both benign and malignant T cell infiltrates.
- Conventional immunoenzymatic techniques on fresh-frozen sections may yield unreliable results for CD7 deletion assessment.