Neoplastic lymphoid cells obtained from lymph node biopsy of 32 patients with T cell lymphoma including 20 cases of adult T cell lymphoma/leukemia (ATLL) were analysed to detect the surface markers defined by monoclonal antibodies and functional activities on PWM induced normal B cell differentiation.
The surface marker study could divide 32 cases into 2 groups; 8 cases of prethymocytic or thymocytic and 24 of peripheral T cell lymphoma. The latter consisted of 2 subgroups of helper/inducer (23 cases) and suppressor/cytotoxic (1 case) but no good relation to real functional activities was obtained in helper/inducer group.
In 20 cases of ATLL, all 13 leukemic cases (ATL) showed helper/inducer phenotype, 11 of the which revealed no helper function. Positive reaction for Leu 8 was found in 10 of 12 cases examined. No differences of phenotype and functional activity were detected between lymphoid cells both in lymph node and peripheral blood in 5 of 6 examined cases. Five in 7 cases of non leukemic counterpart of ATL (NLATL) also showed helper/inducer phenotype but only one possessed helper activity. These results support to categorize ATL and NLATL into one group of ATLL from the view point of not only functional activities but also histological findings and surface markers.
The functional activities of the neoplastic cells in ATLL had no distinctive relation to the histologic type or prognosis, but non-functional cases of ATL tended to manifest a skin infiltration.
