Phenotypic Heterogeneity of Lymphoma of the Skin

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Abstract
We studied surface markers present in 56 cases of lymphoma of the skin by immunohistochemical staining, using the ABC (avidin‐biotin‐peroxidase complex) and PAP (peroxidase‐antiperoxidase complex) methods. Of these cases, 49 were T‐cell lymphoma and 7 were B‐cell lymphoma. Ten of the 49 cases of T‐cell lymphoma were adult T‐cell leukemia/lymphoma (ATL). Twenty‐five of 31 cases of T‐cell lymphoma except ATL analyzed by the ABC method showed a helper/inducer phenotype (Leu2a−, Leu3a+), two cases showed a suppressor/cytotoxic phenotype (Leu2a+, Leu3a−), one case showed Leu2a+Leu3a+, one case showed an inducer phenotype (Leu2a−, Leu3a+, Leu9+), and one case showed OKT11+, Leu2a−, Leu3a−, Leu1−, Leu9+, CD25+, Leu10+, CD30+. One CD8+ lymphoma was Pagetoid reticulosis, and a CD4+, CD8+ lymphoma was lymphomatoid papulosis with erythematous plaque. Cutaneous T‐cell lymphoma (CTCL), previously described by Edelson et al., is defined as a helper T‐cell lymphoma with marked affinity for the skin. In our study, 5 cases of T‐cell lymphoma of the skin were not CTCL as described by Edelson et al. These results show that T‐cell lymphoma of the skin is heterogeneous in nature. In other words, CTCL is one type but represents a major proportion of T‐cell lymphomas of the skin.