Using Molecular Biologic Analysis of T-Cell Receptor Gene Rearrangements to Stage Cutaneous T-Cell Lymphoma

Clinical, Histopathological, Immunophenotypic and Molecular Analysis of 60 Patients with Cutaneous T-cell Infiltrates with Follow up of Indeterminate Cases to Identify T-cell Lymphoma

“…Interestingly we detected more T-cell clones in the blood than in skin samples (1/31 patients of benign, 0/6 of indeterminate and in 12/23 lymphoma cases). Circulating T-cell clones were descibed in the literature in early stage cutaneous T-cell lymphoma, in precursor or inflammatory dermatoses as well as in healthy adults [12,19,20]. Clonality mostly observed in elderly patients and healthy individuals [4,15], as we observed in our patients (average age: 61 years).…”

“…Detection of blood T-cell clone in lymphoma patients does not prove extracutaneous dissemination or advanced stage, because malignant T-cells circulate between skin and lymph nodes, and detected in the blood occasionally [10,11,[18][19][20]. T-cell clones are considered to be peripheral tumor cells with independent prognostic value when identical cutaneous clone could be demonstrated simultaneously [5].…”

Immunohistochemical staining for CD45R isoforms in paraffin sections to diagnose mycosis fungoides–type cutaneous T-cell lymphoma

“…The diagnosis of MF often depends on a cumulative collection of data: multiple serial biopsies, clinical information by experienced physicians, and specialized diagnostic tests that are not available in many routine surgical pathology laboratories (immunophenotyping on frozen and paraffin sections of skin, and TCR gene arrangement). 18 The algorithm developed by the International Society of Cutaneous Lymphoma and published recently emphasized that the diagnosis of early MF depends on the multiple criteria, including clinical, histologic, and ancillary techniques such as immunostaining. 19 We reviewed a unique data set of 92 cases of classic CD4 1 MF that had all been analyzed in the same way (see ''Methods'' section) and 15 cases of contact dermatitis, using only clinical and histologic criteria to generate a score of 7 (definitive MF) to 1 (not MF), and then correlated results of epidermal CD45RB 1 /CD45RO À immunostaining in paraffin sections with the score.…”

Early TCR-β and TCR-γ PCR detection of T-cell clonality indicates minimal tumor disease in lymph nodes of cutaneous T-cell lymphoma: diagnostic and prognostic implications

“…[21][22][23][24]43 Using the Southern blot technique, Lynch et al 22 found T-cell clonality in 47% of dermatopathic lymph nodes and in 90% of histologically clearly effaced lymph nodes, indicating the correlation between T-cell clonality and palpable lymph nodes. Moreover, a poorer prognosis was associated with clonality detected in patients with dermatopathic lymph nodes.…”