T cells in cutaneous lesions of Sezary syndrome and T-cell leukemia. Characterization by monoclonal antibodies

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Abstract
Anti-T cell monoclonal antibodies (LEU series) immunoperoxidase technique study for the presence of T cells in cutaneous lesions from 4 patients with Sezary syndrome and 1 patient with chronic T cell leukemia showed that most dermal-lymphoid cells from 3 patients with Sezary syndrome were reactive with monoclonal antobodies to anti-pan T cell (LEU-1) and helper T cell (LEU-3a) subsets but not with those to suppressor-cytotoxic T cell (LEU-2a) subsets. One patient with progressive disease had atypical dermal-lymphoid cells positive for pan T cell (LEU-1). Epidermotropic cells were reactive to LEU-1 in all 4 patients, LEU-2a in 1 patient and LEU-3a in 1 patient. Neoplastic cells in skin lesions of chronic T cell leukemia showed strong positive staining with LEU-1, but were reactive with both anti-T cell subset, monoclonal antibodies. The atypical, dermal-lymphoid cells in Sezary syndrome represent mature, helper T cells in most cases. The absence of T cell subset antigens in one patient with fulminant Sezary syndrome and the finding of both T cell subset antigens on T cell leukemia cells suggest the presence of actively proliferating, immature T cells in those cases.