Clonal chronic lymphocytic leukaemia-like B lymphocytes in the blood of patients with cutaneous T-cell disorders.
A population of B cells with characteristics of chronic lymphocytic leukaemia was found in the peripheral blood of four patients who presented with cutaneous infiltration of atypical CD4+ T cells with cerebriform nuclei. The B cells had a low density of immunoglobulin on their surface membrane, expressed CD5-positivity, and showed monoclonality based on the restriction to either kappa or lambda light chains. In one patient with tumourous pleiomorphic CD4+CD30- T-cell lymphoma of the skin, it was the first manifestation of a concomitant B-cell non-Hodgkin's lymphoma of low-grade malignancy. In three other patients with reactive atypical T-cell erythroderma, there was no evidence for the coexistence of a B-cell malignancy. The number of CD5+ B cells decreased in two erythroderma patients with clinical remission of the cutaneous lesions. It is speculated that the presence of a monoclonal B cell population in patients with T-cell disorders of the skin is due either to a reactive process possibly conferring some protective effect, or a response to an unknown stimulus produced by the T cells.
Daenen
S
S
Department of Haematology, University Hospital Groningen, The Netherlands.
van Voorst Vader
P C
PC
Blom
N
N
Pietens
J
J
Hollema
H
H
Smit
J W
JW
D000368:Aged; D015703:Antigens, CD / Q000032:analysis*; D000951:Antigens, Neoplasm / Q000032:analysis; D001402:B-Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology*; D018956:CD5 Antigens; D003873:Dermatitis, Exfoliative / Q000276:immunology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D015451:Leukemia, Lymphocytic, Chronic, B-Cell / Q000276:immunology; D016393:Lymphoma, B-Cell / Q000276:immunology; D016410:Lymphoma, T-Cell, Cutaneous / Q000276:immunology*; D008297:Male; D016609:Neoplasms, Second Primary / Q000276:immunology; D011947:Receptors, Antigen, B-Cell / Q000032:analysis; D012878:Skin Neoplasms / Q000276:immunology*
D015703:Antigens, CD; D000951:Antigens, Neoplasm; D018956:CD5 Antigens; D011947:Receptors, Antigen, B-Cell