title: Neural cell adhesion molecule-positive peripheral T-cell lymphoma: a rare variant with a propensity for unusual sites of involvement.
abstract: A distinct subset of patients with peripheral T-cell lymphoma (PTCL) is described which reacts with Leu-19 (CD56), an antibody that has been shown to identify the neural cell adhesion molecule (NCAM). These NCAM-positive PTCL patients (11 of a series of 46 PTCL; 24%) exhibited a striking predilection for unusual anatomic sites of involvement: central nervous system (36%), muscle (18%), gastrointestinal tract, and nasopharynx (27% each). Additional extranodal sites of involvement included the pituitary, thyroid, parathyroids, adrenals, and pancreas. The NCAM-positive subset also exhibited a characteristic phenotypic profile, with significantly lower expression of CD3 and CD5 compared with the NCAM-negative group. RNA transcripts consistent with the NCAM gene were detected in tissue samples from five Leu-19-positive cases using a reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction assay, supporting the idea that Leu-19 recognizes NCAM in these patient samples. This suggests that the expression of the NCAM plays a role in the behavior and localization of lymphomas. Because of the unique clinical and phenotypic characteristics of this group it may be designated as "NCAM-positive peripheral T-cell lymphoma."
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathology, University of Arizona, Tucson.
authors.forename: W F
authors.initials: WF
authors.lastname: Kern
authors.forename: C M
authors.initials: CM
authors.lastname: Spier
authors.forename: E H
authors.initials: EH
authors.lastname: Hanneman
authors.forename: T P
authors.initials: TP
authors.lastname: Miller
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Matzner
authors.forename: T M
authors.initials: TM
authors.lastname: Grogan
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D015703:Antigens, CD / Q000032:analysis; D001483:Base Sequence; D015816:Cell Adhesion Molecules, Neuronal / Q000032:analysis* / Q000235:genetics; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D016411:Lymphoma, T-Cell, Peripheral / Q000276:immunology / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D010641:Phenotype; D012313:RNA / Q000032:analysis
chemical_list: D015703:Antigens, CD; D015816:Cell Adhesion Molecules, Neuronal; D012313:RNA