The usefulness of flow cytometric CD10 detection in the differential diagnosis of peripheral T-cell lymphomas.
We studied the histologic and multiparameter flow cytometry (MFC) features of 12 cases of angioimmunoblastic T-cell lymphoma (AITL), 13 of mature T-cell lymphoma, and 25 control cases of reactive lymphoid hyperplasia to evaluate the role of CD10 in the differential diagnosis of peripheral T-cell lymphomas (PTCLs). A characteristic immunophenotypic profile (CD2+/CD4+) with recurrent phenotypic aberrancies (eg, CD3 and CD7 loss) was identified in most AITL cases; MFC documented CD10 coexpression on T cells in 10 (83%). Mature T-cell lymphoma showed a more heterogeneous altered immunophenotypic pattern, and 2 cases of PTCL, unspecified, had clear evidence of aberrant CD10 expression on T cells. A small physiologic CD3+/CD4+/CD10+ T-cell population was detected by MFC in all control cases tested (range, 0.28%-4.71%), suggesting that a normal subset of peripheral CD10+ T cells exists. CD10 was a highly sensitive but incompletely specific phenotypic marker for diagnosing AITL; the differential diagnosis of PTCL, unspecified, must be related with traditional histologic features. A small number of CD10+ T cells in reactive lymph nodes suggests that this subpopulation may be the normal counterpart of neoplastic T cells in AITL. The biologic role of CD10+ T cells should be studied further.
Stacchini
Alessandra
A
Flow Cytometry Unit, Laboratory of Pathology, Department of Pathology, Molinette Hospital, Turin, Italy.
Demurtas
Anna
A
Aliberti
Sabrina
S
Francia di Celle
Paola
P
Godio
Laura
L
Palestro
Giorgio
G
Novero
Domenico
D
D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor / Q000097:blood; D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D005260:Female; D005434:Flow Cytometry / Q000379:methods*; D006801:Humans; D007119:Immunoblastic Lymphadenopathy / Q000175:diagnosis; D016130:Immunophenotyping; D008198:Lymph Nodes / Q000473:pathology; D016411:Lymphoma, T-Cell, Peripheral / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000175:diagnosis*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D015260:Neprilysin / Q000032:analysis*; D019310:Pseudolymphoma / Q000175:diagnosis; D012189:Retrospective Studies
D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor; D015260:Neprilysin