title: [Study of the pathology, immunophenotype, etiology and genetic marker of NK/T-cell lymphoma].
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To study the NK/T-cell lymphoma, search for a more efficacious and simpler method and establish a standard guideline for distinguishing the NK-like T-cell lymphoma from the NK-cell lymphoma.
  
  
  METHODS
  Thirty-four NK or T-cell lymphomas from the upper aerodigestive tract (n = 22), skin (n = 2), gastrointestinal (GI) tract (n = 2), lymph nodes (n = 7), and other sites (n = 1) were studied. Immunophenotype was analyzed by immunohistochemistry. In situ hybridization with EBER 1/2 RNA probes was performed. T-cell receptor (TCR)-beta and -gamma gene rearrangement was analyzed by polymerase chain reaction (PCR).
  
  
  RESULTS
  Eighteen cases were positive for CD(56) and 16 for TIA-1 in 34 lymphomas cases. All tumor cells in the skin cases were positive for Ki-67. Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) mRNA was detected in 12 upper aerodigestive tumors including 9 of 12 nasal and 3 extranasal tumors. EBER was also detected in 1 of 2 skin lymphomas and both of the 2 GI lymphomas. Clonal TCR-beta and -gamma gene rearrangement was detected in 2 of 22 upper aerodigestive, all of the skin and GI lymphomas, and 6 of 9 nodal and other site lymphomas.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Most upper aerodigestive NK/T-cell lymphomas are genotypically NK derivation, and a few belong to T lineage. However, NK-like T-cell lymphomas more frequently seen in skin and GI tract. Nodal NK-cell lymphoma are quite rare. These two kinds of lymphomas can only be diagnosed with additional immunohistochemical markers, EBER detection by ISH, TCR gene rearrangement or NK-cell receptors (NKRs) RNA detection. Detection of TCR rearrangement remains the important standard for the diagnosis of T-cell lymphoma.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathology, Peking University Healthy Science Center, Beijing 100083, China.
authors.forename: Bo-nan
authors.initials: BN
authors.lastname: Zhong
authors.forename: Xiao-hua
authors.initials: XH
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.forename: Min
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Li
authors.forename: Hai-guang
authors.initials: HG
authors.lastname: Cao
authors.forename: Ning
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Li
authors.forename: Chun-yu
authors.initials: CY
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.forename: Yi-qun
authors.initials: YQ
authors.lastname: Gu
authors.forename: Zi-fen
authors.initials: ZF
authors.lastname: Gao
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D002648:Child; D005260:Female; D015334:Gene Rearrangement, gamma-Chain T-Cell Antigen Receptor; D004854:Herpesvirus 4, Human / Q000302:isolation & purification; D006801:Humans; D016130:Immunophenotyping; D007694:Killer Cells, Natural / Q000473:pathology*; D016399:Lymphoma, T-Cell / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology* / Q000473:pathology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged