CharacterizationoftheCD30antigenhasshownittobeinitsmatureformatransmembraneproteinofabout120kDaelaboratedfroman84kDcytoplasmicprecursorprimarilythroughglycosylation.InteractionsofthecytokinereceptorCD30withitsligandinducespleiotropicBIOLOGiceffects,suchasdifferentiation,activation,proliferationandcelldeath.CD30furThermoreseemstobeinvolvedinthecontroloftheCD40/CD40Lsignal,T-cellproliferationandB-cellmaturationinducedbyT-cellcytokines.Thus,CD30seemstotransmitinformationthatisessentialfortheimmuneresponse.ThereisgrowingevidenceforapotentialroleoftheCD30moleculeinclinicaluseandtherapy.An85kDasolubleformoftheCD30molecule(sCD30)hasbeenshowntobereleasedbyCD30+cellinvitroandinvivo.Itisprobablyderivedfromthe120kDamembraneboundmoleculebyproteolyticcleavage.SerumsCD30detectioncanberegardedasaMarkeroftheamountofCD30+cellspresentinthebody.IncreasedserumlevelsofsCD30havebeenreportedforpatientswithCD30+ALCLandCD30+embryonalcarcinomaofthetestisandwerefoundtocorrelatewiththeclinicalphaseofthedisease,i.e.presentationcompleteremission(CR),relapse.ElevatedserumvaluesofsCD30areshowninthemajorityofpatientswithHodgkin"sDiseasewhichagaincorrelatewiththepresenceofBsymptomsandwiththestageofthedisease,i.e.tumorburden.WhileelevationsofthesolubleCD30inserumofpatientsaffectedbyinfectionsdiseasesusuallyarenotdetected,infectiousmononucleosisisanotableexception.SerumlevelsofsCD30arealsoincreasedinmostpatientswithHBsAg-positivechronichepatitisandsignsofactiveHBVreplication,thusthereisassociationoftheraisedsCD30levelswiththeactivephaseoftheillness.AbnormalsolubleCD30serumaccumulationhasbeenreportedinOmenn"ssyndrome,asevereimmunodeficiency.HighelevationsofsCD30levelsarefoundinpatientsofsystemiclupuserythematosuswhichcorrelatewithdiseaseactivity,inpatientswiththeautoimmuneliverdiseaseprimarybiliarycirrhosisandinpatientswithrheumatoidarthritis.

Synonyms:Tumornecrosisfactorreceptorsuperfamilymember8,CD30Lreceptor,LymphocyteactivationantigenCD30,KI-1antigen,CDantigenCD30