Cell typing in lymphoproliferative disorders. Use of a sensitive hemadsorption technique for sections of normal and...

We have adapted a hemadsorption technique originally devised to detect Fc receptors on human cancer cells for categorizing different lymphoid cells in frozen sections of normal and abnormal human biopsy specimens. The procedure is sufficiently sensitive to demonstrate T-lymphocytes and receptors on the cells in diffuse non-Hodgkin's lymphomas in sections which has been difficult, if not impossible, using other techniques. It demonstrates the expected distribution of B- and T- lymphocytes and mononuclear phagocytes in normal lymphoid organs. When used to type the cells of non-Hodgkin's lymphomas, it furnishes results comparable to more tedious methods requiring cell separation: 63 of 74 non-Hodgkin's lymphomas were classified as neoplasms of B-cells. In 16 cases of Hodgkin's disease of the nodular sclerosis and mixed cellularity types, all major classes of lymphoid cells were present. The proliferating cells were typed as B-cells in four cases of immunoblastic lymphadenopathy.