Reciprocal/dichotomic expression of vimentin and B cell differentiation antigens in Reed-Sternberg's cells.

An immunohistochemical study of 63 cases of Hodgkin's disease was undertaken using formalin-fixed paraffin embedded tissue sections. The antibodies used were against L26, LN-1, LN-2, EMA (epithelial membrane antigen), Leu-M1, Vimentin, UCHL-1, S-100, and lysozyme. Hodgkin's disease could be divided into three groups: the first group was LN-1+/L26+/vimentin-, the second LN-1-/L26+/vimentin+, and the third LN-1-/L26-/vimentin+). Sixteen cases of follicular lymphomas were also examined and were all positive for LN-1 and L26 and negative for vimentin. Thus the vimentin negativity of the first group, including 7 nodular lymphocyte-predominant cases, gives further evidence of their germinal center B-cell origin. Since vimentin is expressed mainly in the immature stage of B-lymphocytes, the second group of Hodgkin's disease may represent immature B-cell Hodgkin's disease. In the third group, vimentin was present in Reed-Sternberg's (RS) and Hodgkin's (H) cells in 45 of the 48 cases (92.5%). In none of 48 cases were these cells positive for S-100 or lysozyme, but strong vimentin-positivity still suggested monocytic or histiocytic origin. The results of our study suggest, at least, divergent origin of RS's and H's cells.