title: Lectin I of Ulex europaeus as a marker for a subset of histiocytic tumours of the lymph node.
abstract: We describe four lymph node based tumours in which numerous neoplastic cells and some mitotic figures were characterized by staining affinity for Lectin I of Ulex europaeus (UEA-I). The patients had no vascular or epithelial tumours and presented symptoms suggestive of a systemic lymphoproliferative disease. Histologically, the tumours were composed of large, cohesive, cells which were mainly located in the paracortex. UEA-I reactivity was more evident in the Golgi area and was present in large mononucleated cells often arranged to delimit vascular-like spaces. The neoplastic cells were weakly muramidase-positive in one case, and were ANAE+/AP+ in two other cases. Large dots of UEA-I reactivity were detected in S-100+/muramidase-negative Langerhans-like cells present in one case of Letterer-Siwe disease. UEA-I staining was consistently negative in 20 cases of B cell- or T cell lymphoma and in 9 other cases of histiocytic lymphoma. It is suggested that UEA-I+ tumours of the lymph nodes are part of a distinct subset of histiocytic malignancies whose neoplastic cells present some morphological and phenotypic properties normally associated with endothelial cells.
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D037102:Lectins / Q000032:analysis*; D008198:Lymph Nodes; D008206:Lymphatic Diseases / Q000032:analysis*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D037121:Plant Lectins
chemical_list: D037102:Lectins; D037121:Plant Lectins; C036850:Ulex europaeus lectins