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Published on: September 10, 2017
TCR-γ expression in primary cutaneous T-cell lymphomas
Socorro Maria Rodríguez-Pinilla1, Pablo L Ortiz-Romero, Verónica Monsalvez
1CNIO Lymphoma Group, Fundación Jiménez Díaz, Madrid, Spain. smrodriguez@fjd.es
T-cell receptor-gamma (TCR-γ) expression is rare in primary cutaneous T-cell lymphomas (CTCLs) and is not exclusive to aggressive subtypes. While often found in cytotoxic CTCLs, TCR-γ presence alone does not predict a poor prognosis, appearing in both fatal and non-fatal cases.
Area of Science:
- Dermatology
- Oncology
- Immunology
Background:
- Primary cutaneous γδ T-cell lymphomas (PCGD-TCLs) are aggressive cytotoxic T-cell lymphomas (CTCLs).
- A novel antibody for detecting T-cell receptor-γ (TCR-γ) in paraffin-embedded tissues is now available.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the prevalence and significance of TCR-γ expression in various primary cutaneous T-cell lymphomas.
- To determine if TCR-γ expression is specific to PCGD-TCLs and if it correlates with prognosis.
Main Methods:
- Analyzed 146 primary cutaneous T-cell lymphoma cases using a TCR-γ antibody and a panel of 13 other antibodies.
- Classified cases according to WHO 2008 criteria, including mycosis fungoides, PCGD-TCLs, and lymphomatoid papulosis type D.
- Correlated TCR-γ expression with clinical data, follow-up, and expression of cytotoxic markers (TIA-1, granzyme B, perforin) and other markers (CD30, CD56).
Main Results:
- TCR-γ expression was detected in 12 cases (8.2%), including PCGD-TCLs, mycosis fungoides, and lymphomatoid papulosis type D.
- All TCR-γ positive cases expressed cytotoxic markers and frequently showed CD3+/CD8+ phenotype with loss of CD5/CD7.
- TCR-γ expression was observed in cases with both fatal and favorable outcomes, indicating it is not a sole prognostic indicator.
Conclusions:
- TCR-γ expression is rare and primarily found in cytotoxic primary cutaneous T-cell lymphomas.
- TCR-γ expression is not exclusive to PCGD-TCLs and can be present in other CTCL subtypes.
- The presence of TCR-γ alone does not appear to be associated with a poor prognosis in cutaneous T-cell lymphomas.
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