Modern topics on immunophenotypic and immunogenotypic analysis of lymphoproliferative disorders are summarized.
Recently developed various monoclonal antibodies against lymphocyte cell surface molecules have made it possible to classify B and T cells into functionally distinct detailed subsets.
In these days, in addition to histopathological study, analysis of cell surface markers (immunophenotypic analysis) of lymphocytic leukemias and lymphomas comes to be necessary information to diagnose, detect the prognosis, and select the treatment protocols.
Moreover, it has been revealed that many of the surface markers themselves serve as functional molecules to generate the subset specific functions. For example, T3 molecule, pan T cell marker, is a T cell antigen receptor (TCR)-related structure, and considered to be closely associated to T cell recognition and activation. Precise phenotypic analysis revealed that both T3 and interleukin 2 receptor (IL2R) are abnormally expressed on adult T cell leukemia (ATL) cells. ATL cells might be a useful tool to investigate the role of T3 molecule in T cell activation. Phenotypic analysis may not only classify the diseases, but also offer reseach materials of the special conditions of lymphocytes.
On the otherhands, it is now available to follow the process of gene rearrangements of immunoglobulin (Ig) and TCR in lymphoid cells, using appropriate probes of each gene segments and Southern transfer technique. Such DNA analysis (immunogenotypic analysis) is now extensively carried out in many institutions. By these means, it comes to be possible to determine clonality and cell lineage of the lymphocyte population.
Because the first step of Ig and TCR gene rearrangement occurs before lineage specific surface molecules appear, it is possible to determine the cell lineage of phenotypically nonT nonB lymphoid tumors. Not a small population of nonT nonB type were found to have Ig and TCR genes both in rearranged states.
Here, two important knowledges brought from the clinical studies are introduced.
One is that the study of each chain of Ig gene rearrangement in lymphoid tumors has determined the hierarchy of each chain rearrangement within a cell. Rearrangement occurs in the order of Heavy, s and finally λ chain.
Another is to bring to light the relation of chromosomal abnormalities frequently seen in lymphoid neoplasmas and the locus of Ig, TCR gene and oncogenes. In many cases, at chromosomal break point, Ig or TCR gene and an oncogene, such as c-myc, sit side by side, and the expression of the oncogene is increased.
Finally, one example of phenotypic and genotypic analysis of T cell lymphocytosis is indicated.
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