Transferrin receptor-1 and 2 expression in chronic lymphocytic leukemia

Transferrin receptor (TfR)-1 and 2 mRNA and CD71 (TfR1) expression was analyzed in 118 CLL patients. Ninety-five out of 109 analyzed cases expressed CD71, mostly at a high level; 60% of CD71 (+) cases were IGH-mutated. All samples were TfR1 mRNA (+); TfR2-alpha/beta mRNA was detected in, respectively, 52/102 and 100/109 cases. Competitive RT-PCR showed widely divergent levels of TfR1 mRNA in cases with high CD71 expression, alluding to postrtanscriptional control of TfR1 expression in CLL. The almost uniformly high CD71 expression in CLL is in keeping with the activated status of neoplastic cells, regardless of IGH mutational load.