[The prolymphocytic-lymphocytic leukemization of T-cell lymphosarcomas]

The paper presents a detailed clinical, hematological, morphological, ultrastructural and immunological characterisation of T-cell lymphosarcoma with prolymphocytic-lymphocytic leukemic transformation (PLLT). In PLLT the proportion of T-cell immunological subvariant of lymphosarcoma came to 15% being detected only in 8 out of 52 examinees. The patients (6 males and 2 females) varied in age from 24 to 76 years (median 49 years) and had the following histological forms of primary tumor tissue: lymphoblastic lymphosarcoma (n = 3), pleiomorphic small cell lymphosarcoma (n = 1), large-cell anaplastic lymphosarcoma (n = 1), prolymphocytic lymphosarcoma. Immunological characteristics of these 8 cases were heterogeneous: in lymphoblastic variant there was immature T-immunological phenotype. In pleomorphic small-cell lymphosarcoma there were also signs of T-cell activation. In large-cell anaplastic lymphosarcoma an immunological phenotype of lymphoid cells from the primary tumor tissue and bone marrow differed in more advanced immunological differentiation of bone marrow tumor cells. In prolymphocytic variant tumor cells had features of T-helpers or T-suppressors. Most of the patients received polychemotherapy according to the schemes for high-grade lymphosarcomas despite PLLT though the latter is not a universal indicator of late tumor progression, more aggressive course of the disease and poor prognosis.