MORPHOLOGIC AND IMMUNOLOGICAL CHARACTERIZATION OF 50 PERIPHERAL T-CELL LYMPHOMAS

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  • 1 January 1985
    • journal article
    • research article
    • Vol. 118  (2) , 316-324
Abstract
Fifty T cell lymphomas, excluding mycosis fungoides and lymphoblastic lymphoma, were studied morphologically and immunohistochemically with a panel of monoclonal antibodies reactive with T cell differentiation antigens in fresh frozen tissue. Histologically, 36% of the lymphomas were large-cell immunoblastic, 26% were diffuse large-cell, 22% were diffuse mixed small and large-cell, and 16% were monomorphic medium-sized-cell lymphomas. By immunologic studies, 64% of the lymphomas were of helper phenotype, 12% were of cytotoxic/suppressor phenotype, 8% expressed both helper and cytotoxic/suppressor antigenic markers, and 16% lacked detectable markers, for either helper or cytotoxic/suppressor cells. There was no correlation between histologic category and immunophenotype. A common finding, and one which may prove to be helpful in the diagnosis of T cell lymphomas, was the loss of .gtoreq. 1 of the pan-T antigens Leu 1, 4 and 5, or the T cell antigen Leu 9 in 32 cases. The expression of Leu 1 and Leu 9 was lost in 46% of cases, expression of Leu 4 was lost in 26%, and expression of Leu 5 was lost in 24%. About three-quarters of the lymphomas expressed Ia antigens.