Adult T-cell leukemia cells overexpress Wnt5a and promote osteoclast differentiation

Blood. 2013 Jun 20;121(25):5045-54. doi: 10.1182/blood-2012-07-439109. Epub 2013 May 9.

Abstract

Adult T-cell leukemia/lymphoma (ATL) is etiologically linked to infection with the human T-cell leukemia/lymphoma virus type 1 (HTLV-I). ATL is classified into 4 distinct clinical diseases: acute, lymphoma, chronic, and smoldering. Acute ATL is the most aggressive form, representing 60% of cases and has a 4-year survival of < 5%. A frequent complication and cause of death in acute ATL patients is the presence of lytic bone lesions and hypercalcemia. We analyzed the Wnt/β-catenin pathway because of its common role in cancer and bone remodeling. Our study demonstrated that ATL cells do not express high levels of β-catenin but displayed high levels of LEF-1/TCF genes along with elevated levels of β-catenin (LEF-1/TCF target genes) responsive genes. By profiling Wnt gene expression, we discovered that ATL patient leukemia cells shifted expression toward the noncanonical Wnt pathway. Interestingly, ATL cells overexpressed the osteolytic-associated genes-Wnt5a, PTHLH, and RANKL. We further show that Wnt5a secreted by ATL cells favors osteoclast differentiation and expression of RANK. Our results suggest that Wnt5a is a major contributing factor to the increase in osteolytic bone lesions and hypercalcemia found in ATL patients. Anti-Wnt5a therapy may prevent or reduce osteolytic lesions found in ATL patients and improve therapy outcome.

Publication types

  • Research Support, N.I.H., Extramural
  • Research Support, N.I.H., Intramural
  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Blotting, Western
  • Cell Differentiation* / physiology
  • Cell Line, Tumor
  • Coculture Techniques
  • Flow Cytometry
  • Humans
  • Leukemia-Lymphoma, Adult T-Cell / genetics
  • Leukemia-Lymphoma, Adult T-Cell / metabolism*
  • Leukemia-Lymphoma, Adult T-Cell / pathology
  • Mice
  • Osteoclasts / cytology*
  • Proto-Oncogene Proteins / biosynthesis*
  • Real-Time Polymerase Chain Reaction
  • Transcriptome
  • Wnt Proteins / biosynthesis*
  • Wnt-5a Protein

Substances

  • Proto-Oncogene Proteins
  • WNT5A protein, human
  • Wnt Proteins
  • Wnt-5a Protein