Humpath.com - Human pathology - Photos - pictures - videos

CD4

MIM.186940 12pter-p12

CD4 is a non-polymorphous glycoproteins belonging to immunoglobulin superfamily. It is expressed on surface of T helper cells and serves as co-receptor in MHC class II-restricted antigen induced T cell activation. CD4 is homologous to CD223

Pathology

- CD4+ CD25+ T cells maintain peripheral tolerance and prevent autoimmunity.

- AIDS - HIV infection

  • CD4 serves as HIV receptor on T cells, macrophages, brain.
  • CD4 is downregulated by HIV Nef protein during AIDS progression.
  • Normally CD4 > CD8; in HIV patients, CD4/CD8 ratio is inverted (i.e. CD4 < CD8) and patients are at risk for opportunistic infections

Expression in tumors

- many post-thymic T cell leukemia/lymphomas
- indolent T cell lymphoblastic proliferation
- pityriasis lichenoides
- CD4+ CD56+ hematodermic malignancies (blastic NK lymphoma)
- histiocytic lymphoma / histiocytic sarcoma
- acute myeloid leukemia
- some pyothorax associated lymphomas
- cutaneous lymphomatoid granulomatosis
- lymphomatoid papulosis
- florid antiviral inflammatory response

Negative immunostaining

- NK cells
- T cell lymphoma with cytotoxic phenotype
- hepatosplenic alpha/beta and gamma/delta lymphoma
- enteropathy associated T cell lymphoma
- B cell lymphoma
- Hodgkin lymphoma
- nonhematopoietic neoplasms

See also

- CDs