title: Malignant lymphomas as tumours of the immune system.
abstract: Malignant lymphomas have traditionally been classified on solely morphological grounds. With new immunological and cytochemical techniques, it has been possible to characterize normal cells of the T-lymphocyte, B-lymphocyte, and monocyte-macrophage system. Application of these methodologies to malignant lymphomas has established their nature as neoplasms of the immune system. Within the B-lymphocyte system it is possible to identify subpopulations responsible for Burkitt's tumour, follicular (nodular) lymphomas, lymphocytic lymphomas of intermediate differentiation and well differentiated lymphocytic lymphomas. The T-lymphocyte system includes lymphoblastic lymphomas, mycosis fungoides, and Sezary's syndrome. Large-cell lymphomas are diverse, but the majority are tumours of transformed lymphocytes, usually of the B-lymphocyte system. The precise nature of the neoplastic cells of Hodgkin's disease (i.e., Reed-Sternberg cells and their mononuclear counterparts) has not yet been established. Despite previous suggestions of a B-lymphocyte or T-lymphocyte origin, recent studies with in vitro cultivation have strongly suggested derivation from the monocyte-macrophage system.
mesh_terms: D000912:Antibodies, Neoplasm / Q000032:analysis; D001402:B-Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology; D002051:Burkitt Lymphoma / Q000276:immunology; D006689:Hodgkin Disease / Q000276:immunology; D006801:Humans; D007958:Leukocyte Count; D008223:Lymphoma / Q000276:immunology* / Q000473:pathology; D008228:Lymphoma, Non-Hodgkin / Q000276:immunology; D011947:Receptors, Antigen, B-Cell / Q000032:analysis; D011951:Receptors, Complement / Q000032:analysis; D012397:Rosette Formation; D013601:T-Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology
chemical_list: D000912:Antibodies, Neoplasm; D011947:Receptors, Antigen, B-Cell; D011951:Receptors, Complement