Terminal Deoxynucleotidyl Transferase in the Diagnosis of Malignant Lymphomas

Abstract

Neoplastic cells from 16 patients with various malignant lymphomas and normal lymphoid tissue were characterized by determination of the activity of terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase (TdT). Neoplastic cells from patients with Hodgkin lymphoma, histiocytic lymphoma were all without recognizable enzyme activity. Enzyme activity was elevated in 2 patients with lymphobalstic lymphoma (null-cel type) and in 1 out of 3 patients with diffuse, poorly differentiated lymphocytic lymphoma, with a mean activity of 13.1 units per 0.1 gram of tissue. The usefulness of TdT assay as biochemical marker of neoplastic cells in malignant lymphoma was demonstrated.