Nucleolar positivity for CD20: a diagnostic aid in neoplasms of T-cell lineage?
METHODS
During a period of 5 years (1998-2002), 125 lymphoma cases consisting of 78 non-Hodgkin's lymphoma (NHL), 38 Hodgkin's disease (HD) and 9 NHL/HD were diagnosed by fine needle aspiration (FNA) cytology. In FNA smears of NHL, the 2 most commonly used antibodies for immunocytochemical staining were CD3 (29 cases) and CD20 (33 cases). A case was considered positive if > or = 50% of cells showed a positive reaction.


RESULTS
Of the 78 NHL cases, 33 stained for CD20. Thirty were successfully stained; of these, 26 were positive. Twenty-nine cases stained for CD3. Twenty-five were successfully stained; of these, 3, consisting of 2 lymphoblastic lymphomas and 1 large cell lymphoma, showed a positive reaction. CD20 staining performed on 1 of these lymphoblastic lymphomas and the large cell lymphoma showed a diffuse cytoplasmic reaction, respectively, in 2% and 0% only but positive staining of the nucleoli in 96% and 84% of cells, respectively. Another lymphoblastic lymphoma case, which did not have an adequate number of CD3-positive cells to label it as of T-cell lineage also showed CD20 positive nucleoli in 60% of cells and a diffuse cytoplasmic reaction for CD 20 in 5% of cells.


CONCLUSIONS
If our observation is corroborated by other studies, CD20 nucleolar positivity may serve as a diagnostic aid in T-cell neoplasms.
Das
Dilip K
DK
Department of Pathology, Faculty of Medicine, Kuwait University, Safat, Kuwait. dilip76@hotmail.com
D000328:Adult; D018951:Antigens, CD20 / Q000378:metabolism*; D044963:Biopsy, Fine-Needle; D017252:CD3 Complex / Q000378:metabolism; D019070:Cell Lineage; D002466:Cell Nucleolus / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D002648:Child; D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D005260:Female; D006689:Hodgkin Disease / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology*; D006801:Humans; D016403:Lymphoma, Large B-Cell, Diffuse / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D008228:Lymphoma, Non-Hodgkin / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D054198:Precursor Cell Lymphoblastic Leukemia-Lymphoma / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D013601:T-Lymphocytes / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology*
D018951:Antigens, CD20; D017252:CD3 Complex