Expression of CCL3 by neoplastic cells in patients with Waldenström's macroglobulinemia: an immunohistochemical study in bone marrow biopsies of 67 patients

Clin Lymphoma Myeloma Leuk. 2011 Feb;11(1):115-7. doi: 10.3816/CLML.2011.n.024.

Abstract

C-C motif ligand 3 (CCL3) chemokine plays a crucial role in the inflammation process, cell migration and chemoattraction of monocytes/macrophages, neutrophils and mast cells. CCL3 is overexpressed by malignant cells in B-cell disorders, including chronic lymphocytic leukemia and multiple myeloma. Elevated circulating CCL3 was previously described in Waldenström's macroglobulinemia (WM) but the source of its production was unknown. We performed an immunohistochemical study in bone marrow biopsies of 67 WM patients and found that the whole number of the neoplastic cells express CCL3 in all cases. This finding was constant in newly diagnosed patients with both symptomatic and asymptomatic WM and also in patients with active disease post previous therapies. Our results support, for the first time in the literature, the production of CCL3 by WM cells. They also suggest a possible role of CCL3 in WM biology and reveal CCL3 as a potential target for developing novel drugs against WM.

MeSH terms

  • Adult
  • Aged
  • Aged, 80 and over
  • Biopsy
  • Bone Marrow Cells / metabolism
  • Bone Marrow Cells / pathology
  • Chemokine CCL3 / biosynthesis*
  • Chemokine CCL3 / immunology
  • Female
  • Humans
  • Immunohistochemistry
  • Male
  • Middle Aged
  • Waldenstrom Macroglobulinemia / diagnosis
  • Waldenstrom Macroglobulinemia / immunology*
  • Waldenstrom Macroglobulinemia / pathology*

Substances

  • Chemokine CCL3