抄録
A 61-year-old female was admitted to our hospital because of cough and fever. The lymph nodes, liver and spleen were not palpable. Haematological examinations revealed hemoglobin 10.2g/dl, platelets 70,000/cmm, and leukocytes 82,500/cmm with 93% leukemic cells with convoluted nuclei.
T cell subset analysis was done with monoclonal antibodies. Leukemic cells had T cell markers (OKT3: 89.7%, OKT4: 96.7%, OKT8: 92.9%, OKT9: 4.4%, OKT10: 18.7%, OKT11: 98.5%, B-1: 4.3%, SmIg: 12.3%, OKIa: 3.2%, OKM1: 2.6%, MCS-1: 0.8%, MCS-2: 0.9%, J-5: 0.3%, Tac: 49.3%).
The phenotype of leukemic cells showed both the helper/inducer and suppressor/cytotoxic subsets. The leukemic cells showed no helper and no suppressor functions. Leukemic cells did not respond to the three lectin mitogens (PHA, Con A and PWM). ATLA (adult T cell leukemia-associated antigen) and its antibody and HTLV (human T cell leukemia virus) provirus DNA were positive.
Although ATL cells previously reported were mature peripheral T cells with helper/inducer subsets and had a suppressor function, the ATL cells of our patient had both helper/inducer and suppressor/cytotoxic subsets without any functions.
