title: In situ determination of T-cell receptor beta expression patterns.
abstract: A definitive diagnosis of T-cell lymphoma may be contingent on the rearrangement profile of the T-cell receptor. This is most accurately done by molecular analysis of the beta-chain of the T-cell receptor (TCR beta) by Southern blotting hybridization that requires unfixed tissue. We describe a reverse transcriptase in situ PCR (RT in situ PCR) method that permits the target-specific direct incorporation of the reporter nucleotide into the different transcripts that comprise the TCR beta, using paraffin-embedded, formalin-fixed tissue. Each of the 25 possible V beta segment rearrangements was documented in three lymph nodes with nonspecific lymphadenitis, with clonal expansion evident in a case of metastatic melanoma. Monoclonal expression was documented in seven tissues diagnostic of a T-cell lymphoma. We analyzed five additional tissues for which a definitive diagnosis of T-cell vs B-cell lymphoma could not be rendered on the basis of histological, immunohistological, and flow cytometric analysis. RT in situ PCR for TCR beta expression with CD3 co-labeling demonstrated which of these lesions was a B-cell-rich T-cell lymphoma. We conclude that the RT in situ PCR methodology will allow the routine determination of monoclonal vs multiclonal expression patterns of the TCR beta using archival paraffin-embedded tissues.(J Histochem Cytochem 49:139-145, 2001)
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathology, Ohio State University Medical Center, Columbus, Ohio 43210-1228, USA.
authors.forename: G J
authors.initials: GJ
authors.lastname: Nuovo
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Morrison
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Porcu
authors.forename: M A
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Caligiuri
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Suster
mesh_terms: D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D006801:Humans; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D008198:Lymph Nodes / Q000378:metabolism; D016393:Lymphoma, B-Cell / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000378:metabolism; D016399:Lymphoma, T-Cell / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000378:metabolism*; D016693:Receptors, Antigen, T-Cell, alpha-beta / Q000378:metabolism*; D020133:Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction
chemical_list: D016693:Receptors, Antigen, T-Cell, alpha-beta