Distinct Chemokine Receptor Profile In Chronic Lymphocytic Leukaemia and Richter Transformed Diffuse Large B Cell Lymphomas Compared To Germinal Center B Cells and De Novo Diffuse Large B Cell Lymphomas

Chemokine receptors are G-protein-coupled cell surface receptors, which dissociate upon activation by their ligands and cause downstream signaling. Recently, several studies have revealed the crucial contribution of chemokine receptors and their ligands in normal B-cell differentiation and development of hematopoietic malignancies. The Richter syndrome (RS) represents the clinico-pathologic transformation of chronic lymphocytic leukaemia (CLL) to an aggressive lymphoma, most commonly diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL). Due to the lack of knowledge on the chemokine receptors in RS, we aimed to investigate their expression profile in Richter syndrome patients. Therefore, we investigated the mRNA expression levels of 18 known chemokine receptors (CCR1-CCR9, CXCR1-CXCR7, XCR1, CX3CR1) by using semi-quantitative real time PCR on seven samples of paired (CLL and transformed DLBCL) RS samples, and six samples of de novo DLBCL, additionally four CLL samples –all of them transformed into DLBCL-, and eight transformed DLBCL samples –all of them originated from CLL- were included. Four samples of peripheral B cells and four samples of germinal center B cells (GCB) served as non-neoplastic controls.

11 out of 18 chemokine receptors were differentially expressed in CLL (RL) and transformed DLBCL originated from CLL (RH) compared to GCBs. RL exhibited an at least 15-fold higher expression of CCR2, CCR4, CCR7, CXCR3, and XCR1, as well as a de novo expression of CCR3, CCR8, CXCR1, CXCR2, and CX3CR1 compared to GCB. Additionally to these chemokine receptors, CCR1 also showed significant higher expression levels comparing GCB and RH samples. Only one chemokine receptor was found to be differentially expressed in our seven paired RS samples: CCR6 showed a trend of up-regulation in CLL components. Interestingly, the transformed DLBCL originated from CLL were characterized by a significant up-regulation of six chemokine receptors (CCR3, CCR7, CXCR1, CXCR3, CXCR4, and CX3CR1) and a down-regulation of CCR5 compared to DLBCL.

Our data indicate that the chemokine receptor expression profile of CLL and transformed DLBCL, originated from CLL samples, differs substantially from those of non neoplastic germinal center B cells and de novo DLBCL, suggesting other cellular origin and an impact on more aggressive clinical course of Richter syndrome patients. Hence, these multiple deregulated CC and CXC receptor might serve as useful prognostic tool to separate high malignant Richter syndrome from de novo DLBCL.