Capping and freeze-fracture analysis of Sézary cells

The functional integrity of blood and skin Sézary cells was examined in regard to motility, capping proficiency, and intramembranous particle (IMP) mobility. In contrast with chronic lymphocytic leukemia lymphocytes, which are relatively inert in these respects, variable proportions of Sézary cells are motile and are able to cap and cluster their IMP's. Since these functions may reflect a cell's propensity for diapedesis, these observations may help to explain the inverse relationship between the size of the skin infiltrate and the number of circulating Sézary cells often observed in this condition.