Alkaline Phosphatase Activity in Non‐Hodgkin's Lymphomas and Pseudolymphomas of the Skin

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Abstract
Alkaline phosphatase enzyme activity was studied histochemically in 60 non‐Hodgkin lymphomas and 10 pseudolymphomas of the skin. Among the 37 B‐cell lymphomas, membrane‐bound alkaline phosphatase activity was demonstrated in 8 cases. In none of the 23 cutaneous T‐cell lymphomas studied could membrane‐bound alkaline phosphatase be detected. Among the pseudolymphomas, 2 cases revealed alkaline phosphatase activity.It was not possible to draw any particular clinically significant conclusions from the membrane‐bound alkaline phosphatase reactions. Looking for the microenvironmental conditions of lymphoproliferative processes in the skin, alkaline phosphatase‐positive capillaries were seen predominantly in the T‐cell lymphomas. The stromal reaction showing a proliferation of alkaline phosphatase‐positive fibroblasts was more pronounced in cutaneous B‐cell lymphomas.In conclusion, membrane‐bound alkaline phosphatase in lymphoproliferative processes in the skin, as in the lymph node, characterize a distinct group of B lymphocytes related to follicle center cells. The clinical relevance of this finding remains to be determined.

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