Summary of candidate lineage markers
Marker . | Earliest detectable . | Role in T/NK development . | Role in mature T/NK lymphoma . | Role in lineage or prognosis of NK-LBL vs T-LBL . |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| CD161 | Before commitment | Present early during the development of NK-cell precursors, its expression persists into mature NK cells.16 | Not available | Less useful than CD94 1A |
| Also present in subsets of T cells, for example, in IFN-γ–producing intestinal T cells.49 | ||||
| CD44 | Before commitment | One of the earliest markers on T-cell precursors at the DN1 stage of development18 | Often lost in ENNLs but present in peripheral T-cell lymphoma40 | Not useful |
| ID2 and E2A | Before commitment | Transcription factors of the helix-loop-helix family; E2A induces the rearrangement of TCR; ID2 is a dominant-negative inhibitor of E2A and is essential for NK development.22-28 | Loss of E2A leads to T-cell leukemia43-45 | ID2 lost in NK-LBL |
| KIRs | After commitment | 3 alternative splicing groups, KIR2DL4, KIR2D, and KIR3D, found on human NK cells only.36 Expression of KIRs is preceded by CD94.46 | A restricted KIR repertoire found in ENNLs39,40 | Not useful |
| TCF-1 | After commitment | A transcription factor with functions in the maintenance, survival, and expansion of T cells31-33 | Loss of TCF-1 in a subset of peripheral T-cell lymphomas48 | Not useful |
| A different isoform found in mature human NK cells, also known to induce Ly49 NK-cell antigen receptors in the mouse47 |
Marker . | Earliest detectable . | Role in T/NK development . | Role in mature T/NK lymphoma . | Role in lineage or prognosis of NK-LBL vs T-LBL . |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| CD161 | Before commitment | Present early during the development of NK-cell precursors, its expression persists into mature NK cells.16 | Not available | Less useful than CD94 1A |
| Also present in subsets of T cells, for example, in IFN-γ–producing intestinal T cells.49 | ||||
| CD44 | Before commitment | One of the earliest markers on T-cell precursors at the DN1 stage of development18 | Often lost in ENNLs but present in peripheral T-cell lymphoma40 | Not useful |
| ID2 and E2A | Before commitment | Transcription factors of the helix-loop-helix family; E2A induces the rearrangement of TCR; ID2 is a dominant-negative inhibitor of E2A and is essential for NK development.22-28 | Loss of E2A leads to T-cell leukemia43-45 | ID2 lost in NK-LBL |
| KIRs | After commitment | 3 alternative splicing groups, KIR2DL4, KIR2D, and KIR3D, found on human NK cells only.36 Expression of KIRs is preceded by CD94.46 | A restricted KIR repertoire found in ENNLs39,40 | Not useful |
| TCF-1 | After commitment | A transcription factor with functions in the maintenance, survival, and expansion of T cells31-33 | Loss of TCF-1 in a subset of peripheral T-cell lymphomas48 | Not useful |
| A different isoform found in mature human NK cells, also known to induce Ly49 NK-cell antigen receptors in the mouse47 |