title: Predictability of immunologic phenotype of malignant lymphomas by conventional morphology: a study of 60 cases.
abstract: In order to test the immunologic validity of the Lukes-Collins (L-C) classification of the non-Hodgkin's lymphomas (ML), 60 ML in adult patients were studied and their B- or T-cell nature was predicted on a morphologic basis, without knowledge of the clinical history or the results of surface marker (SM) studies (SIg, C', Fc and E-rosettes), which were performed on cell suspensions and cryostat sections from the same specimens used for histology. There was a good correlation between morphologic types and SM (97% for the nodular ML, 81% for the diffuse). The predictions were not confirmed in 6 instances: one nodular ML typed as T; one convoluted lymphocytic ML typed as histiocytic; and four diffuse ML, predicted to be of B-type, bore no detectable SM ("Null" ML). It is concluded that the L-C morphologic criteria do allow in most cases the recognition of the B- or T-cell nature of ML, but cannot detect variations of the SM pattern which seem to affect the clinical behavior of these neoplasias. Thus, while the L-C classification seems immunologically sound, its clinical relevance still needs to be demonstrated.
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001402:B-Lymphocytes; D001666:Binding Sites, Antibody; D003165:Complement System Proteins / Q000235:genetics; D006801:Humans; D007124:Immunoenzyme Techniques; D007141:Immunoglobulin Fc Fragments / Q000235:genetics; D008198:Lymph Nodes / Q000276:immunology / Q000473:pathology; D008214:Lymphocytes / Q000166:cytology / Q000276:immunology*; D008223:Lymphoma / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology* / Q000473:pathology; D008875:Middle Aged; D010641:Phenotype; D011947:Receptors, Antigen, B-Cell / Q000032:analysis / Q000235:genetics; D012397:Rosette Formation; D013601:T-Lymphocytes
chemical_list: D007141:Immunoglobulin Fc Fragments; D011947:Receptors, Antigen, B-Cell; D003165:Complement System Proteins