title: The human T-cell leukemias: clinical, cytomorphologic, immunophenotypic, and genotypic characteristics.
abstract: The distribution of the conventional lymphoid cell markers on T lymphocytes and the principal panels of monoclonal antibodies used to recognize distinctive T-lymphocyte-associated differentiation antigens are discussed. These reagents have been used to probe the early and late stages of T-cell differentiation, and a hypothetical schema of T-cell differentiation has been constructed. Application of these reagents to the investigation of neoplastic T cells has resulted in the determination of the subset of origin and the stage of differentiation of the neoplastic cells in T-cell-derived lymphoproliferative malignancies. Recent advances in molecular biology have made possible the Southern blot hybridization analysis of DNA extracted from neoplastic T cells for patterns of T-cell-receptor gene rearrangements. Examination of these patterns in benign and malignant T and non-T cell has provided the basis for the use of T-cell-receptor gene rearrangements as specific genetic markers of T-cell lineage, clonality, and differentiation. These and other advances have resulted in the delineation of a new category of T-cell neoplasia, the adult T-cell leukemia/lymphoma syndrome. They have also demonstrated that the majority of clinically indolent neoplasms composed of large granular lymphocytes in so-called T gamma-lymphoproliferative disease are monoclonal proliferations. Further phenotypic, functional, and genotypic analyses of the T-cell malignancies should provide better understanding of T-lymphocyte differentiation and heterogeneity. Such studies should also lead to better clinicopathologic correlations and greater understanding of the basis for the clinical diversity of the T-cell-derived lymphoproliferative malignancies.
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000911:Antibodies, Monoclonal / Q000276:immunology; D000941:Antigens / Q000276:immunology; D000945:Antigens, Differentiation, T-Lymphocyte; D000954:Antigens, Surface / Q000276:immunology; D001266:Atlantic Islands; D001402:B-Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology / Q000473:pathology; D002454:Cell Differentiation; D002467:Cell Nucleus / Q000473:pathology; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D002999:Clone Cells / Q000276:immunology / Q000473:pathology; D003593:Cytoplasm / Q000473:pathology; D004247:DNA / Q000235:genetics; D004262:DNA Restriction Enzymes; D017977:Deltaretrovirus; D005260:Female; D005838:Genotype; D006684:HLA-DR Antigens; D000949:Histocompatibility Antigens Class II / Q000276:immunology; D006651:Histocytochemistry; D006801:Humans; D007136:Immunoglobulins / Q000235:genetics; D007564:Japan; D007945:Leukemia, Lymphoid / Q000209:etiology / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology / Q000473:pathology; D007958:Leukocyte Count; D008232:Lymphoproliferative Disorders / Q000276:immunology / Q000473:pathology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009693:Nucleic Acid Hybridization; D010641:Phenotype; D011379:Prognosis; D011971:Receptors, Immunologic / Q000235:genetics; D012192:Retroviridae Infections; D012397:Rosette Formation; D012737:Sex Factors; D013601:T-Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology / Q000473:pathology; D006377:T-Lymphocytes, Helper-Inducer / Q000276:immunology; D050378:T-Lymphocytes, Regulatory / Q000276:immunology; D014481:United States
chemical_list: D000911:Antibodies, Monoclonal; D000941:Antigens; D000945:Antigens, Differentiation, T-Lymphocyte; D000954:Antigens, Surface; D006684:HLA-DR Antigens; D000949:Histocompatibility Antigens Class II; D007136:Immunoglobulins; D011971:Receptors, Immunologic; D004247:DNA; D004262:DNA Restriction Enzymes