CD3
See T-cell receptors
With the exception of NCL-CD3-PS1, monoclonal antibodies are
effective on fresh-frozen tissue only. Polyclonal
antibodies are effective in paraffin-embedded tissue2.
There are also monoclonal
antibodies, which require frozen sections. These include Leu4, which
recognises CD3ge and CD3de complexes4.
Immunohistochemical expression
A
T-cell marker present on thymocytes, resting and activated T
lymphocytes. It is not expressed by B lymphocytes, macrophages,
myeloid cells or any other cells, except weakly by Purkinje cells in
the cerebellum. Formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded tissues require the
use of polyclonal antisera.
Diagnostic utility
-
T-ALL/T-LBL3
-
non-neoplastic and neoplastic T lymphocytes
-
NK cells: staining is cytoplasmic, due to the presence of CD3e,
which is not specific for T-cells. NK cells lack surface positivty.
CD3 negativity occurs in some cases of mycosis
fungoides, pleomorphic lymphoma and anaplastic large cell
lymphoma. Aberrant loss of expression may help to distinguish them
from reactive T-cell proliferations1.
See: Comparison
of sensitivities and specificities of T and B cell markers
References
1Bakels,
V., van Oostveen, J.W., van der Putte, S.C., Meijer, C.J. and
Willemze, R. Immunophenotyping and gene rearrangement analysis
provide additional criteria to differentiate between cutaneous T-cell
lymphomas and pseudo- T-cell lymphomas. Am J Pathol 1997;150:1941-9.
2Leong
A S-Y, Cooper K and Leong FJ W-M. Manual of diagnostic antibodies
for immunohistology. 2nd edition, 2003
3 Campana
D, Thompson JS, Amlot P, et al. The cytoplasmic expression of CD3
antigens in normal and malignant cells of the T lymphoid lineage. J
Immunol 1987; 138:648-55
4 Kitamura
A, Yamashita Y, Hasegawa Y, et al. Primary lymphoma arising in the
nasal cavity among Japanese. Histopathology 2005; 47:523-32
©SMUHT/PW Bishop