Studies with multiple markers on malignant lymphomas and lymphoid leukemias

Three hundred consecutive cases of malignant lymphomas and lymphoid leukemias in the National Cancer Center Hospital during the last five years were evaluated in terms of multiple morphologic and functional parameters. Immunologically these cases were composed of 42 cases of nonT-nonB-, 135 cases of T-, 95 cases of B-, and 28 cases of possible (defective) B-cell lymphoma and leukemias. The high ratio of T-cell lymphomas (45) is noteworthy and 63% of them were of peripheral T-cell origin. Some of the peripheral T-cell lymphomas were difficult to subtype by the classical Rappaport classification and these were dealt with as separate entities. The lower frequency of follicular lymphoma in Japan was reconfirmed (22 of 95 B-cell lymphomas) and half of the B-cell lymphomas were diffuse large cell type. Morphologic characteristics, surface and other functional markers of the neoplastic cells in each subtype were presented in detail and discussed in relation to the normal differentiation and maturation of lymphoid cells.