Diagnosis of cutaneous T-cell lymphoma detecting T-cell receptor gamma chain gene monoclonality by denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis.
Cutaneous T-cell lymphomas represent a group of malignant lymphoproliferative disorders characterised by the occurrence of a monoclonal population of T-lymphocytes. Diagnosis of early stages of this disease is a difficult challenge for both the dermatologist and the dermatopathologist. With the aid of the polymerase chain reaction it is possible to amplify specific regions of the T-cell receptor gamma gene. The amplification products can then be separated by denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis in order to detect a monoclonal population of T-lymphocytes in the infiltrate. We studied 4 patients with the clinicopathologic diagnosis of mycosis fungoides and 2 patients diagnosed as large plaque parapsoriasis. A monoclonal population was detected in 3 of the 4 mycosis fungoides cases and in 1 of the patients with large plaque parapsoriasis. This indicates that our analysis can help us establishing a diagnosis, and it can also help us to identify patients with a possible early stage of the disease, which clinically or histologically is not yet recognised as such.
Universitaire Instelling Antwerpen (UIA), Departement Geneeskunde, België.
K
K
Lapière
K
K
Dhaene
L
L
Matthieu
R
R
Hübner
J
J
Lambert
E
E
Van Marck
D000368:Aged; D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D004587:Electrophoresis, Agar Gel; D005784:Gene Amplification; D015334:Gene Rearrangement, gamma-Chain T-Cell Antigen Receptor / Q000235:genetics; D019675:Genes, T-Cell Receptor gamma / Q000235:genetics*; D006801:Humans; D016410:Lymphoma, T-Cell, Cutaneous / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000235:genetics / Q000473:pathology; D008875:Middle Aged; D009182:Mycosis Fungoides / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000235:genetics / Q000473:pathology; D010267:Parapsoriasis / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000235:genetics / Q000473:pathology; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction; D012878:Skin Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000235:genetics / Q000473:pathology; D013601:T-Lymphocytes / Q000473:pathology