Tumour infiltrating plasmacytoid dendritic cells in B cell post-transplant lymphoproliferative disorders, human immunodeficiency virus-associated B cell lymphomas and immune competent diffuse large B cell lymphomas.

摘要

Sir. There is growing interest in the role played by plasmacytoid dendritic cells (PDC) in cancers and viral infections. PDCs play an important role in fighting viral infections through the expression of Toll-like receptors (TLR)-7, -8 and -9. PDCs have been studied in malignancies such as cutaneous melanoma, squamous cell carcinoma, basal cell carcinoma, breast cancer, cutaneous lymphomas and other lymphomas.Lymphoproliferative disorders in immune deficient states are distinctive from other lymphomas in that an infective agent, often a virus [e.g. Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) and human herpes virus 8 (HHV8)], plays a central role in the proliferation. In a high proportion of immune deficiency-associated lymphoproliferative disorders, the neoplastic cells harbour the virus.