title: Cytomegalovirus infection associated with clonal proliferation of T-cell large granular lymphocytes: causal or casual?
abstract: Clonal proliferation of T-cell large granular lymphocytes (LGL) is an indolent disorder characterized by splenomegaly, lymphocytosis and frequent manifestations of immune disturbances. The LGL are CD3(+) CD4(-) CD8(+) CD56(-). The clonality of the tumor cell population is often only demonstrable by T-cell receptor (TCR) gene rearrangement study because chromosomal abnormality is distinctly rare. We describe a case of T-cell LGL leukemia that presented initially as cytomegalovirus infection. The leukemic LGL are shown to be clonal by both TCR gene rearrangement and chromosomal studies. They persist after subsidence of the cytomegalovirus infection.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathology, Queen Elizabeth Hospital, 30 Gascoigne Road, Kowloon, Hong Kong SAR, China. kfwong@ha.org.hk
authors.forename: K F
authors.initials: KF
authors.lastname: Wong
authors.forename: S F
authors.initials: SF
authors.lastname: Yip
authors.forename: C C
authors.initials: CC
authors.lastname: So
authors.forename: G T C
authors.initials: GT
authors.lastname: Lau
authors.forename: Y M
authors.initials: YM
authors.lastname: Yeung
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D017252:CD3 Complex / Q000378:metabolism; D015496:CD4-Positive T-Lymphocytes / Q000502:physiology; D019002:CD56 Antigen / Q000378:metabolism; D016827:CD8 Antigens / Q000378:metabolism; D002999:Clone Cells / Q000276:immunology / Q000473:pathology; D020732:Cytogenetic Analysis; D003586:Cytomegalovirus Infections / Q000150:complications / Q000473:pathology*; D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D015329:Gene Rearrangement, T-Lymphocyte; D006801:Humans; D007621:Karyotyping; D007945:Leukemia, Lymphoid / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000209:etiology / Q000473:pathology*; D008218:Lymphocytosis / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000209:etiology / Q000473:pathology*; D008297:Male; D016692:Receptors, Antigen, T-Cell, gamma-delta / Q000235:genetics; D013601:T-Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology / Q000473:pathology*
chemical_list: D017252:CD3 Complex; D019002:CD56 Antigen; D016827:CD8 Antigens; D016692:Receptors, Antigen, T-Cell, gamma-delta