Clonal chromosomal abnormalities in cutaneous T-cell lymphoma

Chromosome analysis from stimulated and unstimulated lymphocytes of blood, skin, and lymph nodes demonstrated a clonal chromosomal abnormality in eight of 46 patients with cutaneous T-cell lymphoma (CTCL). Nonclonal abnormalities were found in nine other patients. Unstimulated lymph node cultures identified the highest proportion of clonal changes. Clonal changes were found most often in patients with advanced disease, and in patients who tested positive with a monoclonal antibody previously shown to detect the T-cells involved in CTCL. Analysis of the eight abnormal clones and seven others found before or since this consecutive series showed that identifiable changes involving the known sites of T-cell receptor genes on chromosomes #7 and #14 were not usually present. An association between CTCL and chromosome rearrangements of chromosome #10 is suggested both from our cases and those found in the literature. This observation is of interest because this chromosome contains the gene for the interleukin-2 receptor.