Increased peripheral blood gamma delta T-cells in patients with lymphoid neoplasia: A diagnostic dilemma in flow cytometry.
We have observed increased numbers of non-neoplastic gammadelta-T-cells in the peripheral blood of a series of patients with non-Hodgkin's lymphoma not of gammadelta-T-cell origin. The majority of normal gammadelta-T-cells are negative for surface CD4 and CD8 and a subpopulation does not express CD5, two immunophenotypic findings strongly suggestive of neoplasia in alpha beta T-cells. In addition, they express cytotoxic T-cell/Natural killer cell antigens. In this study, up to 22% of PBLs were CD4 and CD8 negative gammadelta-T-cells and up to 33% PBLs were CD5 negative gammadelta-T-cells. In addition, as high as 42% of PBLS were gammadelta-T-cells expressing cytotoxic T-cell/Natural killer cell antigens, suggestive of a large granular lymphoproliferative disorder. Failure to recognize that these are normal gammadelta-T-cells could lead to the erroneous diagnosis of peripheral blood involvement with a T-cell neoplasm, especially in the setting of a history of non-Hodgkin's lymphoma. Cytometry (Comm. Clin. Cytometry) 38:280-285, 1999. Published 1999 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
McClanahan
J
J
Laboratory of Pathology, National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland 20892, USA.
Fukushima
P I
PI
Stetler-Stevenson
M
M
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D005260:Female; D005434:Flow Cytometry; D006801:Humans; D007124:Immunoenzyme Techniques; D007938:Leukemia / Q000097:blood* / Q000473:pathology; D018655:Lymphocyte Count; D008223:Lymphoma / Q000097:blood* / Q000473:pathology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D016692:Receptors, Antigen, T-Cell, gamma-delta / Q000378:metabolism*; D013601:T-Lymphocytes / Q000166:cytology* / Q000378:metabolism
D016692:Receptors, Antigen, T-Cell, gamma-delta