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Updated: Feb 19, 2026
Functional Characterization of Regulatory Macrophages That Inhibit Graft-reactive Immunity
Published on: June 7, 2017
CD30 Expression in Monomorphic Posttransplant Lymphoproliferative Disorder, Diffuse Large B-Cell Lymphoma Correlates
Christopher Hartley1, James W Vaughan1, Jason Jarzembowski1
1Department of Pathology, Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee.
Objectives:
CD30 is a protein thought to promote cell proliferation/survival and downregulate the immune response. Twenty percent to 40% of de novo diffuse large B-cell lymphomas (DLBCLs) express CD30, and some patients have been treated with the anti-CD30 agent brentuximab. In the solid organ transplant setting, allograft regulatory T cells (Tregs) have been shown to be modulated via CD30 signaling.
Methods:
Posttransplant lymphoproliferative disorders (PTLDs) constitute a heterogeneous group of lymphomas, and since CD30 expression has been rarely formally assessed in PTLDs, we analyzed a cohort of PTLDs.
Results:
We found that 26 (79%) of 33 PTLDs were CD30+. Of these, 17 (77%) of 22 DLBCL monomorphic PTLDs were CD30+ compared with 56 (38%) of 148 de novo DLBCLs (P = .009). The median FoxP3+ Treg count was higher in CD30+ than in CD30- PTLDs, 3.0 vs 0 (P = .012).
Conclusions:
These findings suggest a pathophysiologic link between CD30 activity and Tregs and may indicate differential expression of CD30 in B-cell lymphomas arising in the setting of immune dysregulation.
