title: Detection of TCR-gamma gene rearrangements in early mycosis fungoides by non-radioactive PCR-SSCP.
abstract: Early mycosis fungoides (MF) can mimic numerous benign inflammatory dermatoses on routine histological examination. In this study, a recently developed non-radioactive polymerase chain reaction-single strand conformational polymorphism (PCR-SSCP) technique was used to assess T-cell clonality in paraffin-embedded skin biopsies clinically and pathologically suspicious for early MF. Non-radioactive PCR-SSCP is a simple, sensitive, reproducible and rapid procedure requiring minimal instrumentation. DNA was extracted from 22 skin biopsies of 20 patients with suspected patch stage MF and 15 skin biopsies of inflammatory dermatoses. V gamma1-8, V gamma9, V gamma10, V gamma11 and J gamma1/J gamma2 consensus primers were used for T-cell receptor (TCR)-gamma gene rearrangement amplification. PCR products were analyzed by non-radioactive SSCP. Clonal TCR-gamma gene rearrangements were detected in 17 of 22 (77%) suspected MF specimens. Clonal SSCP banding patterns were different among individual patients. In addition, identical banded patterns were demonstrated in serial skin biopsies from the same patient. No dominant T-cell clones were found in the inflammatory dermatoses studied. Therefore, non-radioactive PCR-SSCP is a useful molecular diagnostic tool for assessment of T-cell clonality in paraffin-embedded specimens suspicious for early MF. The SSCP imprint of PCR products is specific for each TCR-gamma gene rearrangement, and may be used to evaluate concurrent/recurrent disease in individual patients.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Albany Medical Center, New York, USA.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Murphy
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Signoretti
authors.forename: M E
authors.initials: ME
authors.lastname: Kadin
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Loda
mesh_terms: D001706:Biopsy; D017931:DNA Primers / Q000737:chemistry; D004273:DNA, Neoplasm / Q000032:analysis; D015334:Gene Rearrangement, gamma-Chain T-Cell Antigen Receptor; D006801:Humans; D009182:Mycosis Fungoides / Q000235:genetics* / Q000473:pathology; D016612:Paraffin Embedding; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction; D018807:Polymorphism, Single-Stranded Conformational; D016692:Receptors, Antigen, T-Cell, gamma-delta / Q000235:genetics*; D012008:Recurrence; D012878:Skin Neoplasms / Q000235:genetics* / Q000473:pathology
chemical_list: D017931:DNA Primers; D004273:DNA, Neoplasm; D016692:Receptors, Antigen, T-Cell, gamma-delta