Expression and function of cathelicidin hCAP18/LL-37 in chronic lymphocytic leukemia

PODAZA, ENRIQUE; PALACIOS, FLORENCIA; CROCI, DIEGO O.; RISNIK, DENISE; YAN, XIAO J.; ALMEJÚN, MARÍA BELÉN; COLADO, ANA; ELÍAS, ESTEBAN E.; BORGE, MERCEDES; MORANDE, PABLO E.; BEZARES, RAIMUNDO; FERNÁNDEZ-GRECCO, HORACIO; RABINOVICH, GABRIEL A.; GAMBERALE, ROMINA; CHIORAZZI, NICHOLAS; GIORDANO, MIRTA

HAEMATOLOGICA

FERRATA STORTI FOUNDATION

Año: 2020 vol. 105 p. 465 - 469

0390-6078

Chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) is characterizedby the accumulation of clonal B-cells in peripheral bloodand lymphoid tissues.1 Circulating CLL cells are nondividingB lymphocytes, but a significant fraction of theclone proliferates in lymphoid tissues where they receivea plethora of signals from the microenvironment thatpromote their survival and expansion.2 Cathelicidins are afamily of proteins with antibacterial functions mainlyexpressed by neutrophils, macrophages and epithelialcells.3 In humans, the only member of this family,hCAP18, is encoded by the gene CAMP. The cleavage ofhCAP18 generates the antimicrobial peptide LL-37,which has been recently implicated in the promotion oftumor growth, through direct stimulation of malignantcells, initiation of angiogenesis and recruitment ofimmune cells.4 In this study, we investigated the role ofhCAP18/LL-37 in CLL.