Chromosomal abnormalities in relation to clinical disease in patients with cutaneous T-cell lymphoma: a 5-year follow-up study.
BACKGROUND
Patients with cutaneous T-cell lymphoma (CTCL) show chromosomal aberrations in skin and blood lymphocytes.


OBJECTIVE
To evaluate the significance of peripheral blood clonal or non-clonal chromosomal abnormalities in comparison with the clinical course of cutaneous T-cell lymphoma patients.


METHODS
Five patients with large-plaque parapsoriasis (LPP) or with follicular mucinosis, eight with mycosis fungoides and two with Sézary syndrome were followed for an average of 54 months. G-banding and enzyme-detected in situ hybridization (EDISH) were used to identify aberrations in chromosomes 1, 6, 8, 9, 11, 13/21, 15 or 17, that had previously showed frequent aberrations.


RESULTS
The aberration rates of all chromosomes studied differed between patients with active disease and healthy or photochemotherapy-treated controls by EDISH or G-banding (P < 0.01 to P < 0.05). Patients in complete remission differed from healthy controls for aberrations of chromosomes 1, 6 and 11, and from patients with active, progressing disease for chromosomes 1, 6, 8, 11 and 17 (P < 0.01 to P < 0.05, EDISH or G-banding). All 11 samples representing active, progressing disease showed elevated levels of chromosome 8 aberrations in EDISH. The change in chromosomal aberration rate and clinical condition between two consecutive samples agreed for chromosomes 1, 8, 9 and 15 (G-banding) and for chromosome 17 (G-banding and EDISH; kappa > 0.5-0.6). Six of seven patients (five CTCL, one LPP patient) with clonal chromosomal aberrations by G-banding showed continuously active disease and four of them, but none of the other patients, died within 30 months of the detection of the clone.


CONCLUSIONS
The rate of chromosomal aberrations associates with the activity of CTCL, and has prognostic significance. Aberrations of chromosomes 1, 6 and 11, although increasing with activity of the disease, seem to be a hallmark of existing disease, detectable even in remission. Aberrations of chromosomes 8 and 17 especially associate with active or progressive disease.
Karenko
L
L
Department of Dermatology and Venereal Diseases, Helsinki University Central Hospital, PO Box 160, 00029 HUS, Finland. Leena.Karenko@hus.fi
Sarna
S
S
Kähkönen
M
M
Ranki
A
A
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D002869:Chromosome Aberrations; D002871:Chromosome Banding; D018450:Disease Progression; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D017403:In Situ Hybridization; D016410:Lymphoma, T-Cell, Cutaneous / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000235:genetics*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011701:PUVA Therapy; D010267:Parapsoriasis / Q000235:genetics; D011379:Prognosis; D012878:Skin Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000235:genetics*; D016896:Treatment Outcome