Morphologic and immunologic characterization of 50 peripheral T-cell lymphomas

Fifty T-cell lymphomas, excluding mycosis fungoides and lymphoblastic lymphoma, were studied morphologically and immunohistochemically with a panel of monoclonal antibodies reactive with T-cell differentiation antigens in fresh frozen tissue. Histologically, 36% of the lymphomas were large-cell immunoblastic, 26% were diffuse large-cell, 22% were diffuse mixed small and large-cell, and 16% were monomorphic medium-sized-cell lymphomas. By immunologic studies, 64% of the lymphomas were of helper phenotype, 12% were of cytotoxic/suppressor phenotype, 8% expressed both helper and cytotoxic/suppressor suppressor antigenic markers, and 16% lacked detectable markers for either helper or cytotoxic/suppressor cells. There was no correlation between histologic category and immunophenotype. A common finding, and one which may prove to be helpful in the diagnosis of T-cell lymphomas, was the loss of one or more of the pan-T antigens Leu 1, 4, and 5 or the T-cell antigen Leu 9 in 32 cases. The expression of Leu 1 and Leu 9 was lost in 46% of cases, expression of Leu 4 was lost in 26%, and expression of Leu 5 was lost in 24%. About three-quarters of the lymphomas expressed Ia antigens.