Percentage of {gamma}{delta} T cells in panniculitis by paraffin immunohistochemical analysis.
Cutaneous T-cell lymphomas with panniculitis-like histologic features have different clinical courses depending on whether they are composed of alphabeta T cells or gammadelta T cells, necessitating their distinction for proper prognostication. However, unlike alphabeta T cells, gammadelta T cells cannot be reliably detected in formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded sections. We demonstrated that a commercially available antibody can detect gammadelta T cells and examined 2 cases of flow cytometry-proven gammadelta T-cell lymphomas and 15 control cases of nonneoplastic panniculitis. In both lymphomas, the atypical lymphocytes were gammadelta T cells, whereas the reactive lymphocytes were alphabeta T cells. In contrast, nonneoplastic panniculitis had predominantly alphabeta T cells with many fewer and individually scattered gammadelta T cells. The detection of gammadelta T cells in paraffin sections provides a powerful new tool to characterize T cells in lymphomas and inflammation.
Roullet
Michele
M
Norfolk General Hospital, VA, USA.
Gheith
Shereen M F
SM
Mauger
Joanne
J
Junkins-Hopkins
Jacqueline M
JM
Choi
John K
JK
D000911:Antibodies, Monoclonal; D015703:Antigens, CD / Q000276:immunology / Q000378:metabolism; D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D005434:Flow Cytometry; D006801:Humans; D007150:Immunohistochemistry / Q000379:methods; D016130:Immunophenotyping; D016410:Lymphoma, T-Cell, Cutaneous / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000276:immunology; D015434:Panniculitis / Q000276:immunology*; D016612:Paraffin Embedding; D016693:Receptors, Antigen, T-Cell, alpha-beta / Q000276:immunology; D016692:Receptors, Antigen, T-Cell, gamma-delta / Q000276:immunology*; D012878:Skin Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000276:immunology
D000911:Antibodies, Monoclonal; D015703:Antigens, CD; D016693:Receptors, Antigen, T-Cell, alpha-beta; D016692:Receptors, Antigen, T-Cell, gamma-delta