Paraffin section markers for reed-sternberg cells. A comparative study of peanut agglutinin, leu-m1, ln-2, and ber-h2

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Abstract
Hodgkin's disease (HD) is sometimes difficult to distinguish from non‐Hodgkin' lymphomas, and a reliable marker for Reed‐Sternberg and related (R‐S) cells in paraffin sections would be useful. Ninety‐one cases of HD with PNA, anti‐Leu MI, and LN‐2, and 90 cases with Ber‐H2 were studied. The staining results were evaluated independently. R‐S cells stained positively with one or more of the reagents in all cases. PNA staining was positive in 78 cases (85.7%); Leu M1, 63 (69.2%); LN‐2, 71 (78.0%); and Ber‐H2, 80 cases (88.9%). Positively stained cells were readily recognized in 71 cases (91.0%) of PNA+, 51 (80.9%) of Leu M1+, and 51 (71.8%) of LN‐2+ and 71 (88.7%) of Ber‐H2+ cases; the cells were found only after careful search in the remaining cases. Sixteen cases of peripheral T‐cell lymphoma (large cell type, ten; mixed, five; unclassifiable, one) were also stained. Tumor cells did not stain with PNA or anti‐Leu M1 in any of the 16 cases but did stain positively with LN‐2 in four and with Ber‐H2 in five. Thus, the detection rate of R‐S cells was the highest with Ber‐H2, closely followed by PNA. PNA, however, stained the largest number of R‐S cells per case, and the results were least affected by the type of fixative employed. Staining of peripheral T‐cell lymphoma appeared to be nil or extremely rare with PNA and Leu M1, whereas it was not uncommon with Ber‐H2 and LN‐2. In conclusion, to facilitate the detection of R‐S cells in paraffin sections, the application of a panel of three markers, PNA, Leu M1, and Ber‐H2, appears to be necessary at this point in time.

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