Tumor cells in cutaneous T-cell lymphoma express limited numbers of chemokine receptors. We investigated the expression patterns of CXCR3, CCR3, CCR4 and CCR10 in mycosis fungoides, Sézary syndrome, lym-phomatoid papulosis and anaplastic large cell lymphoma in 121 skin biopsy samples. CXCR3 was expressed in 86% of mycosis fungoides cases but in no anaplastic large cell lymphoma cases. CCR3 was expressed in 73% of cases of CD30+ lymphoproliferative disorders such as lymphomatoid papulosis and anaplastic large cell lymphoma. Mycosis fungoides/Sézary syndrome patients with high CCR3 or CCR4 expression had a poorer survival prognosis than mycosis fungoides/Sézary syndrome patients whose tumor cells did not express these receptors. CCR10 was expressed in 50% of mycosis fungoides/Sézary syndrome cases and in 13% of cases with CD30+ lym-phoproliferative disorders. These results suggest that differential patterns of CXCR3, CCR3, CCR4 and CCR10 expression are useful for the diagnosis of cutaneous T-cell lymphoma. Moreover, expression of CCR3 or CCR4 suggests a poor prognosis in mycosis fungoides/Sézary syndrome.
Keywords: CCR10; CCR3; CCR4; CXCR3; CTCL.