Analysis of the phenotypic heterogeneity of CD123-positive cells in Kikuchi-Fujimoto disease using a sequential immunoperoxidase labeling and erasing method

Abstract

To identify the phenotypic heterogeneity of CD123-expressing cells in the affected lymph nodes in patients with KFD by a sequential immunoperoxidase labeling and erasing (SIMPLE) method. Excision biopsies of lymph nodes were examined in 3 patients with KFD. After an immunohistochemical reaction using a single antibody, the tissue specimen was digitized with a Pannoramic 250 Flash III scanner (3DHISTECH, Hungary), then the cover glass was removed from the section, the specimen was hydrated and placed in a specialized buffer. Then the following primary antibody was applied to the washed tissue specimen and further immunohistochemical reaction and scanning were performed. As a result, each tissue specimen was sequentially stained in reactions with 4 antibodies. The microphotographs of specimens stained in a reaction with anti-CD123 antibody showed positive cells for their identification in the Pannoramic Viewer program (3DHISTECH, Hungary) on the remaining microphotographs displaying the expression of the other 3 markers. The selected fields of view were exported to a JPG format. Assessing the co-expression of the antigens CD123, MNDA, CD68, and TCL1A detected 4 CD123+ cell subpopulations: No. 1. CD68+/ MNDA+/ TCL1A+; No. 2. CD68+/ MNDA+/ TCL1A-; No. 3. CD68+/ MNDA-/ TCL1A+; No. 4. CD68-/ MNDA-/ TCL1A+. SIMPLE has shown the phenotypic heterogeneity of CD123-positive cells (some of them may be PDCs) and could identify 4 immunophenotypically distinct subpopulations in the affected lymph nodes in patients with KFD. Further investigations are needed to define the role of subpopulations in the pathogenesis of KFD and other diseases.