Comparative Analysis of the Expression of Cell Adhesion Molecules in Cutaneous T-Cell Lymphomas (Mycosis Fungoides/Sézary Syndrome) and Inflammatory Skin Diseases

Abstract

Introduction Cell adhesion molecules play a pivotal role in the establishment of T-cell populations in the skin. In this study, we quantify the expression of cell adhesion molecules in patients with cutaneous T-cell lymphoma (CTCL) and compare it with the expression found in other skin diseases. Material and methods Frozen material was obtained from 42 patients in 5 different groups: early CTCL, comprising patients with patch- and plaque-stage mycosis fungoides (n=11); advanced CTCL (n=7), comprising patients with mycosis fungoides (n=3) and Sézary syndrome (n=4); inflammatory skin disease (n=12), comprising patients with psoriasis (n=9) and atopic dermatitis (n=3); chronic skin diseases with persistent plaques that do not fulfil the histological criteria for mycosis fungoides (pre-CTCL) (n=8); and healthy volunteers (n=4). Expression of the following cell adhesion molecules was analyzed: lymphocyte function-associated antigen 1, intercellular adhesion molecule 1 (ICAM-1), ICAM-3, cutaneous lymphocyte-associated antigen, E-selectin, very late antigen 4, vascular cell adhesion molecule 1, αEβ7 integrin, and E-cadherin. Results The immunohistochemical analyses used here revealed statistically significant differences between CTCL and other skin diseases but not between early and advanced CTCL. The expression of αEβ7 integrin and ICAM-3 in the epidermis per high-power field (400× magnification) allowed the different groups to be distinguished from each other, except for advanced CTCL and pre-CTCL. There were statistically significant differences between advanced CTCL and pre-CTCL in terms of the expression of E-selectin at 400× magnification and the expression of ICAM-1 in a honeycomb pattern in epidermal keratinocytes. Conclusions The expression of cell adhesion molecules involved in the adhesion and migration of lymphocytes in the skin does not differ significantly between initial and advanced stages of CTCL.