Pathology Outlines

CD Markers
CD6

Author: Nat Pernick, M.D.

Topic Completed: 1 August 2013

Minor changes: 1 October 2020

Copyright: 2002-2021, PathologyOutlines.com, Inc.

PubMed Search: CD6

Page views in 2020: 136

Page views in 2021 to date: 4

Table of Contents

Cite this page: Pernick N. CD6. PathologyOutlines.com website. https://www.pathologyoutlines.com/topic/cdmarkerscd6.html. Accessed January 15th, 2021.

Definition / general

Adhesion molecule mediating binding of developing thymocytes with thymic epithelial cells (OMIM #186720)
Belongs to ancient scavenger receptor superfamily; at #11q13
Also called T cell differentiation antigen, T12
Essential for stable contact between T cells and antigen presenting cells, which leads to T cell proliferation (Blood 2006;107:3212)

Pathophysiology

Binds to CD166 (ALCAM)
Monomeric 105 or 130kD membrane glycoprotein; size difference is due to differences in phosphorylation (Eur J Immunol 1995;25:2765)
May be signaling attenuator whose expression alone is sufficient to restrain signaling in T cells (Eur J Immunol 2012;42:195)

Clinical features

Antibodies to CD6 are used to deplete T cells from bone marrow transplants to prevent graft versus host disease (J Clin Oncol 2001;19:1152, Int J Hematol 1999;69:27, J Allergy Clin Immunol 2008;122:1185)
Single nucleotide polymorphisms may be risk factor for multiple sclerosis (J Neuroimmunol 2010;223:100, PLoS One 2013;8:e62376), due to altered proliferation of CD4+ T cells (J Immunol 2011;187:3286)

Uses by pathologists

No significant clinical use by pathologists

Microscopic (histologic) images

Images hosted on other servers:

Brain (CD6-)

Colon

Kidney (CD6-)

Skeletal muscle (CD6-)

Tonsil

Uterus (CD6-)

Positive staining - normal

Mature T cells, B cell subset (B1 cells), NK cells (subset, J Innate Immun 2011;3:420), CNS cells
High levels on mature (medullary) thymocytes, low levels on immature (cortical) thymocytes