CD15/FUT4 [FUT4&815]

CD15 is expressed on Reed-Sternberg cells of Hodgkin’s disease and by various other cell types including myeloid cells and epithelial cells. Antibodies to CD15 recognize a pentasaccharide sequence occurring in lacto-N-fucopentaose III ceramide (also referred to as X hapten of Lex) found in higher glycolipids and glycoproteins. A review by Arber et al. has reported that antibodies to CD15 demonstrate positive staining in 87% of Hodgkin’s disease including nodular sclerosing, mixed cellularity, and lymphocyte depletion, wherea s the lymphocyte predominant variant exhibits a lower rate of positivity (37%). Among non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma, 13% express CD15 including 4.1% B-cell, 21% T-cell, and 17% null-cell. CD15 expression has also been demonstrated in acute myeloid leukemia (65%) and chronic myelogenous leukemia (96% chronic phase and 54% blast phase). A relatively low level of CD15 expression has been reported in acute lymphoblastic leukemia (5.7% overall) with positivity observed in 7.7% common or precursor B-cell, 0% B-cell, 7.7% T-cell and 17.3% null-cell. Carcinomas derived from various organs have also been shown to be CD15 positive (56%) including adenocarcinomas, squamous cell carcinomas and undifferentiated large and small cell carcinomas.