Age-Associated B Cell Features of the Murine High-Grade B Cell Lymphoma Bc.DLFL1 and Its Extranodal Expansion in Abdominal Adipose Tissues

Abstract Diffuse large B cell lymphoma comprises a heterogeneous group of B cell–derived tumors, with different degrees of aggressiveness, as defined by their cellular origin and tissue microenvironment. Using the spontaneous Bc.DLFL1 lymphoma originating from a BALB/c mouse as a diffuse large B cell lymphoma model, in this study we demonstrate that the lymphoma cells display surface phenotype, IgH V-region somatic mutations, transcription factor characteristics and in vivo location to splenic extrafollicular regions of age-associated B cells (ABCs), corresponding to T-bet+ and Blimp-1+/CD138− plasmablasts derivation. The expansion of lymphoma cells within lymphoid tissues took place in a close arrangement with CD11c+ dendritic cells, whereas the extranodal infiltration occurred selectively in the mesentery and omentum containing resident gp38/podoplanin+ fibroblastic reticular cells. Antagonizing BAFF-R activity by mBR3-Fc soluble receptor fusion protein led to a significant delay of disease progression. The extranodal expansion of Bc.DLFL1 lymphoma within the omental and mesenteric adipose tissues was coupled with a significant change of the tissue cytokine landscape, including both shared alterations and tissue-specific variations. Our findings indicate that while Bc.DLFL1 cells of ABC origin retain the positioning pattern within lymphoid tissues of their physiological counterpart, they also expand in non-lymphoid tissues in a BAFF-dependent manner, where they may alter the adipose tissue microenvironment to support their extranodal growth.