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1 From the Departments of Pathology and 2 Ophthalmology, Fukushima Medical University School of Medicine, Fukushima-City, Japan.
| Abstract |
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METHODS. Eight cases of EZML in the orbit and four in the conjunctiva were studied. The VH genes were amplified by a seminested PCR and sequenced directly. These were compared with the closest published VH germline segments to determine the somatic mutation frequency. Intraclonal microheterogeneity, which was termed the ongoing mutation frequency in the current study, was estimated by counting the number of single nucleotide substitutions in individual clones and dividing by the total number of nucleotides analyzed. Nine cases of gastrointestinal EMZL were also examined for comparison.
RESULTS. The somatic mutation frequency varied between 2.0% and 12.7%, with a mean value of 7.9%. Ten cases with intraclonal microheterogeneity showed between one and six further substitutions. The average of ongoing mutation frequency was 0.11%, with a range of 0% to 0.25%. In the gastrointestinal EMZLs, the average of somatic mutation frequency was 8.5% (1.5%14.2%) and of ongoing mutation frequency was 0.51% (0.25%0.75%).
CONCLUSIONS. The average of ongoing mutation frequency in ocular adnexal EMZL was lower than that in gastrointestinal EMZL. Both ocular adnexal and gastrointestinal EMZLs are derived from postgerminal center memory B cells, but the low ongoing mutation frequencies of ocular adnexal EMZL may result from less antigen stimulation and follicular colonization in the orbit relative to gastrointestinal EMZL.
| Introduction |
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In the ocular adnexa, however, it is not clear whether EMZLs are associated with chronic inflammation or autoimmune disorders such as Wegener granulomatosis, Mikulicz disease, and Sjögren syndrome. Normal conjunctiva and lacrimal glands contain occasional resident lymphocytes, and eyelids also have lymphatic drainage into local lymph nodes.6 The lymphatic tissue that appears in these sites is believed to be entirely MALT, acquired after antigen stimulation.7 It is likely that lymphomas may arise from reactive lymphoid tissue. The dependence of EMZL on specific antigen stimulation explains its tendency to remain localized in the mucosal sites.
EMZLs of MALT type are believed to arise from marginal-zone B cells, because of the morphologic and immunophenotypic similarity of the cell populations: both EMZL cells and normal marginal zone B-cells are CD5-, CD10-, and CD20+ and are usually IgM+, IgD-, and cyclin D1-.8 Marginal-zone B cells that express IgM appear to be enriched with early-memory B cells, the direct progeny of germinal center (GC) B cells.9 It has been shown that somatic hypermutation of immunoglobulin heavy-chain variable region (VH) genes occurs during B-cell differentiation. When coupled to antigen selection in the GCs, somatic mutation results in the production of antibodies of increased affinity.10 11 Somatic hypermutation appears to be restricted to the B-cells proliferating within the microenvironment of the GC. Thus, somatically mutated VH genes are a hallmark of GC B cells and their descendants.12 Mutations occur mainly in the framework regions (FWs) and complementarity-determining regions (CDRs) of the VH genes, which often show a marked accumulation of replacement (R) mutations in their CDRs. The CDR encodes the antigen-binding site13 and clustering of R mutations in the CDR is believed to improve antigen binding, thus contributing to antigen selection.14 Somatic hypermutation has been found to occur in the rearrangement of the VH genes of follicular lymphoma (FL),15 diffuse large B-cell lymphoma,16 multiple myeloma,17 and EMZL,18 but not in mantle cell lymphoma.19 Cases of B-cell chronic lymphocytic leukemia have been reported to include both germline20 and hypermutated configurations.21 Somatic mutations are found in normal IgM+ memory B cells of peripheral blood in the range of 0% to 10.0% (average, 2.0%), and in EMZLs of the MALT type in the range of 1.4% to 10.2% (average, 4.3%). Generally, the average somatic mutation frequency in EMZL is slightly higher than that of normal human B cells.12
Somatic hypermutation of VH genes has been found only in GC B cells22 23 24 ; therefore, gastric EMZLs that show somatic hypermutations without intraclonal variations are most likely derived from post-GC marginal-zone B cells.18 25 However, a recent study has shown intraclonal variations of VH genes in gastric EMZL.26 Ongoing mutation is known to exist in both FLs and EMZLs, which shows genetically that direct antigen stimulation plays an important role in the clonal expansion of these lymphomas.
Several studies have examined somatic mutation in the VH genes of EMZLs, including those in the stomach and ocular adnexa, but to our knowledge, there have not been any studies of intraclonal microheterogeneity in ocular adnexal EMZL.
In this study, we cloned and sequenced the VH genes expressed in 12 cases of ocular adnexal EMZLs, to define intraclonal microheterogeneity, and investigated whether direct antigen stimulation is involved in the development or growth of these tumors. We compared the frequency of somatic mutation and intraclonal microheterogeneity of VH genes of ocular adnexal EMZL to those in eight cases of gastric EMZLs and one of duodenal EMZL.
| Materials and Methods |
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All lymphomas were classified according to the Revised
European-American Lymphoma (REAL)8
and World Health
Organization (WHO) classifications.27
Immunohistochemical
staining was performed on the paraffin-embedded sections and frozen
sections according to a previously described streptavidin-biotin
complex method.28
Monoclonal and polyclonal antibodies
used in this study were as follows: Monoclonal IgG, IgA, IgM, and IgD
and
,
, CD3 (Leu4), CD5 (leu1), CD10 (CALLA; Becton Dickinson,
San Diego, CA), CD20 (Dako, Kyoto, Japan), CD21 (C3d fragment)
for B cell, anti-bcl-2 (bcl protein; Dakopatts, Grostrup, Denmark),
MIB-1 for proliferating cells in the G1, S, G2, and M phases
(Immunotech SA, Marseilles, France; cyclin D1; MBL, Nagoyo, Japan).
PCR Amplification
PCR amplification of VH genes and direct sequencing
of the PCR products were performed according to previously described
methods.29
DNA samples obtained from flash-frozen samples
were digested with proteinase K (PCR-grade; Roche Molecular
Biochemicals, Indianapolis, IN), extracted with phenol-chloroform, and
precipitated with ethanol.
Seminested PCR was performed with either of two systems (GeneAmp 9700 System; PE Applied Biosystems, Chiba, Japan; or a DNA Thermal Cycler; Perkin Elmer-Cetus, Norwalk, CT), as described previously.16 Briefly, the first amplifications were performed using an upstream consensus V region primer (FR1C and FR2A) and a low-stream primer joining (J) consensus V region primer (LJH). For reamplification, the LJH was replaced by a nested consensus J region primer (VLJH), and the first round amplification product was transferred and used as a template. We used both FR1C and FR2A for all 12 cases, and then sequenced products of both. This enabled us to confirm that clones were the same in 11 cases, but for case 7, we were unable to isolate a band by using FR1C. Primers (FR1C, FR2A, LJH, VLJH) used for seminested PCR amplification were as follows: 5'-AGGTGCAGCTG[G/C] [A/T]G[G/C]AGT C[G/A/T]G G-3' (FR1C) and 5'-TGG[A/G]TCCG[C/A]CAG[G/C]C[T/C] [T/C]C[A/C/G/T]GC-3' (FR2A), as upstream consensus V region primers; 5'-TGAGGAGACGGTGACC-3', as a consensus J region primer (LJH); 5'-GTGACCAGGGT[A/C/G/T]CCTTGGCCCCAG-3', as a consensus J region primer (VLJH). Ten microliters of each amplification product was separated by electrophoresis on a 2% agarose gel and visualized with ethidium bromide.
DNA Sequence Analysis of the VH Gene
DNA sequence analysis was performed with an automated
sequencer (SQ5500; Hitachi, Tokyo, Japan), using the dideoxy-chain
termination method with fluorescent dyes and a core sequencing kit
(Thermo Sequenase; Amersham International, Plc., Little Chalfont, UK).
The most homologous sequences were chosen for comparison with the
published VH region germline sequence, using the BLASTIN and
GenBank databases (provided in the public domain by the National Center
for Biotechnology Information, Bethesda, MD, and available at
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/blast/blast.cgi). Intraclonal diversity was
examined as described previously.30
PCR products were
ligated into the pCR 2.1 vector and transformed into
TOP10F' cells as directed (original TA cloning kit, Invitrogen,
Carlsbad, CA). The colony direct PCR assay was used to determine
whether colonies included the correct PCR product. At least 10 colonies
were chosen and put into 50 µL premix colony direct PCR kit
(Insert Check Ready; Toyobo Co. Ltd., Osaka, Japan). The PCR protocol
consisted of 30 cycles of 95°C for 20 seconds, 60°C for 5 seconds,
and 72°C for 30 seconds. The presence of correct PCR products in 10
samples was confirmed by check electrophoresis in each case and then
sequenced by using the same method.
| Results |
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Gastrointestinal EMZLs were intensely infiltrated by lymphoid cells, predominantly in mucosa propria and submucosa. The proliferating lymphocytes were mainly small to intermediate in size. LEL were seen in all cases of gastrointestinal EMZLs.
Immunohistochemical Studies
The results of immunohistochemical studies are summarized in Table 2
. Lymphoma cells in all cases were positive for CD20and bcl-2,
but were negative for CD3, CD5, CD10, CD21, IgD, and cyclin D1. Nine
(75%) of the 12 cases expressed surface IgM. Distribution of
follicular dendritic cells (FDCs) detected by an immunostaining of CD21
varied from case to case. A diffuse, loose network of FDCs in diffuse
areas containing lymphoma cells were observed in three cases (2, 5, and
10), small networks in diffuse areas of lymphomas were observed in five
cases (1, 3, 8, 11, and 12). FDCs in atrophic GC only were observed
only in case 7.
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| Discussion |
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In the present study, the first to report ongoing mutations (intraclonal microheterogeneity), we analyzed somatic mutations of VH genes in 12 cases of EMZL in the ocular adnexa. The average rate of somatic mutation was 7.9%, with a range from 2.0% to 12.7% (CDR1, FW2, CDR2, and FW3 in 11 cases, CDR2 and FW3 in 1 case). The number of mutations was comparable to that observed in VH genes in EMZLs in the other sites described previously: 8.5% in the gastrointestinal tract (in our series), 5.7% in the lung,31 and 4.7% in the salivary gland.32 The data were nearly consistent with that of ocular adnexal EMZL described in Couplaud et al.33 (8.2% in the ocular adnexa including primary and secondary lesion). These mutations showed much higher R/S ratios in the CDRs than in the FRs, the hallmark characteristic of B cells that have undergone positive antigen selection in the GC.
In addition to high mutation in the VH genes, ongoing mutation (intraclonal microheterogeneity) was observed in 10 of 11 cases, ranging from 0% to 0.25% (Table 7) . These findings suggest that most low-grade ocular adnexal EMZLs are still under the influence of the hypermutation mechanism. Somatic mutations and ongoing mutations are known to occur in GCs but not in post-GC B cells (i.e., memory B cells)34 ; however, recent studies have revealed that gastric EMZLs derived from post-GC B cells show ongoing mutations. The data suggest that these EMZLs respond to direct antigen stimulation through re-entry to GCs, as re-entry of normal B cells into GCs has been demonstrated with rat splenic marginal-zone cells (after antigenic stimulation).35
To evaluate a difference in intraclonal microheterogeneity, we compared the ongoing mutation frequency in ocular adnexal EMZL to that of gastric EMZL (Table 9) . The average frequency of ongoing mutation was lower in ocular adnexal EMZLs than in gastric EMZLs (0. 11% vs. 0. 51%). In ocular adnexal EMZL, the cases with and without loose networks of follicular dendritic cells (FDCs) or atrophic GCs showed average ongoing mutation frequencies of 0.12% and 0.08%, respectively (P = 0.5205, Students t-test; Tables 2 7 ) Ongoing mutation is linked to the GCs in the normal immune reaction. The GC of secondary lymphoid follicles provides a microenvironment for B cells to undergo clonal expansion and selection before differentiation into memory B cells. The GC reaction is initiated by rapid proliferation of few antigen-stimulated B cells in association with FDCs.36 FL has an intraclonal microheterogeneity resulting from the ongoing mutation, because FL tends to display a similar architecture (e.g., rich FDCs, T-cells) to the normal reactive follicles.37
In EMZLs, the lymphoma cells occasionally recirculate to reactive GCs, a process termed follicular colonization, and may show intraclonal microheterogeneity. Follicular colonization is frequently observed in gastrointestinal EMZL, but rarely in ocular adnexal EMZL. This may be one of the main reasons for the different ongoing mutation rate between gastrointestinal and ocular adnexal EMZLs. In ocular adnexal EMZL, ongoing mutation frequency in cases with FDC networks was relatively higher than that in cases without FDC networks; therefore, the difference in ongoing mutation frequency between them may reflect the differences in microenvironment. Our data suggest that ongoing mutations are associated with antigen-presenting cells such as FDCs. In other words, the quality and quantity of antigen stimulation through FDCs may affect the ongoing mutation frequency between ocular adnexal and gastrointestinal EMZLs.
It has been reported that, in some instances of ocular adnexal EMZL, some expressed VH genes were associated with autoantibodies: DP-8, DP-10 (also known as 51p1), DP-53, DP-63, and DP-49.33 Autoantibodies using the germline DP-53 and DP-49 have been described in cases of Alzheimer disease and rheumatoid arthritis, respectively. DP-63 has been associated with various diseases, including idiopathic cold agglutinin disease, systemic lupus erythematosus, and rheumatoid arthritis. Autoantibody association has also been observed in EMZLs arising in other sites.31 32 38 Among our series, the closest germline sequence of case 7 was DP-53, which suggests that the epitope possibly responsible for direct stimulation could be a self-antigen.
Recently, t(11;18)(q21;q21), that is API2-MALT1 fusion has been
identified as a recurring cytogenetic abnormality in EMZL, particularly
in those that arise in extranodal sites.39
After discovery
of the API2-MALT1 fusion in EMZLs, nearly 100 cases of lymphoma were
examined for this fusion, and one third of the cases were found to be
positive by various methods.40
41
42
43
44
45
46
The API 2-MALT1 fusion
was frequently found in EMZLs of the lungs (44.4% to
100%), and
stomach (12.5% to
47.8%), in which EMZLs arise from chronic
infectious inflammation, and were rarely detected in EMZLs of the
thyroid and parotid glands associated with autoimmune disease. Ocular
adnexal EMZLs with this novel gene have not been reported. It is likely
that EMZLs involving the lacrimal gland are related to autoimmune
disease. Although it has not been clear what kind of chronic antigenic
stimulation, such as H. Pylori infection in
gastrointestinal EMZLs, are associated with ocular adnexal EMZLs,
we suggest the possibility that conjunctival EMZL arises from chronic
inflammation. Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) was not detected in any cases of
ocular adnexal EMZL by EBER1 RNA in situ hybridization (details not
shown).
In summary, we analyzed VH genes in 12 cases of ocular adnexal EMZL. The somatic mutation frequency of ocular adnexal EMZL was comparable to that of EMZL in other sites, which suggests that ocular adnexal EMZL is derived from post-GC memory B cells. The differences in ongoing mutation between ocular adnexal and gastrointestinal EMZLs may result from the quality and quantity of antigen stimulation through FDCs in the primary sites.
| Footnotes |
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Commercial relationships policy: N.
The publication costs of this article were defrayed in part by page
charge payment. This article must therefore be marked
"advertisement" in accordance with 18 U.S.C.
1734
solely to indicate this fact.
Corresponding author: Yoko Hara, Department of Pathology, Fukushima Medical University School of Medicine, 1-Hikarigaoka, Fukushima-City, 960-1295, Japan. yhara{at}fmu.ac.jp
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