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T-Cell Leukemia and Lymphoma (TCL and T Lymphoma)

FOXP3, a selective marker for a subset of adult T-cell leukaemia/lymphoma

Leukemia volume 19, pages 2247–2253 (2005)Cite this article

Abstract

FOXP3 is a forkhead transcription factor family member, implicated in T-cell regulation, activation and differentiation. FOXP3 has been shown to be a master control gene for the development and function of CD4+/CD25+ regulatory T-cells (Treg). In this study, FOXP3 protein expression has been analysed using a new anti-FOXP3 monoclonal antibody in 172 paraffin-embedded lymphoma samples. FOXP3 expression in tumour cells was confined to adult T-cell leukaemia/lymphoma (ATLL) cases (17/25, 68%), with some variability in the intensity of the staining and the proportion of positive cells. No other lymphoma types studied exhibited FOXP3 expression in the malignant population. The selective expression of FOXP3 by tumour cells in ATLL makes this antibody a potentially useful diagnostic tool.

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Acknowledgements

We are indebted to the CNIO immunohistochemistry unit for excellent technical assistance, to the CNIO Tumour Bank Network for providing the paraffin-embedded tissue used in this study and to the hospitals, which provided tissue samples for this study. Thanks to Lorraine Tracey for her valuable help with the review of the text. Financial Support: This work was supported by grants from the Ministerio de Ciencia y Tecnología (BIO2000-0275-C02/01-/02, SAF2001-0060), Comunidad Autónoma de Madrid (CAM 08.1/0011/2001.1) and the Fondo de Investigación Sanitaria of the Ministerio de Sanidad y Consumo (FIS 01-0035/G03/179), Spain. JFGVM is a recipient of a grant from the Ministerio de Ciencia y Tecnología (FP-2001-0977), Spain and AHB is supported by the Leukaemia Research Fund.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Monoclonal Antibodies Unit, Biotechnology Program, Centro Nacional de Investigaciones Oncológicas (CNIO), Madrid, Spain

    G Roncador, J F Garcia, L Maestre & E Lucas

  2. Molecular Pathology Program, Centro Nacional de Investigaciones Oncológicas (CNIO), Madrid, Spain

    J F Garcia & M A Piris

  3. Department of Pathology, Gregorio Marañón Hospital, Madrid, Spain

    J Menarguez

  4. Department of Pathology, School of Medicine, Fukuoka University, Fukuoka, Japan

    K Ohshima

  5. Department of Pathology and Molecular Diagnostics, Aichi Cancer Centre, Nagoya, Japan

    S Nakamura

  6. Nuffield Department of Clinical Laboratory Sciences, University of Oxford, John Radcliffe Hospital, Oxford, UK

    A H Banham

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  1. G Roncador
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Correspondence to G Roncador.

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Roncador, G., Garcia, J., Garcia, J. et al. FOXP3, a selective marker for a subset of adult T-cell leukaemia/lymphoma. Leukemia 19, 2247–2253 (2005). https://doi.org/10.1038/sj.leu.2403965

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