CD27 expression in malignant and normal human B precursors: a confirmed phenomenon. Reply to Nilsson and colleagues
Abstract
We read with great interest a recent paper by A. Nilsson and colleagues [ 1 ].
It describes a CD27 expression in human B precursors both in acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) samples and in normal controls. In addition, it addresses the expression of CD70 (ligand of CD27) and shows that also soluble form of CD27 (sCD27) is elevated in a proportion of ALL cases.
For the first time, sCD27 is shown to be significantly increased in a genetically defined subset (TEL/AML-1 + ALL). The authors raise several relevant questions on a role of CD27 and CD70 in leukemogenesis and their possible connection to the underlying chromosomal changes.
In this context, they mention that there are no reports of CD27-CD70 expression in ALL and that their paper is the first report showing that immature B cells express CD27 and CD70.