Analysis of spleen cells in malignant histiocytosis in infancy.
A 10-month-old male infant underwent splenectomy because of life-threatening hypersplenism due to malignant histiocytosis. The spleen tissue positive for herpes simplex virus (HSV)-DNA, histologically and immunologically revealed a marked B cell depletion replaced by proliferation of activated cytotoxic T cells. S100-positive histiomonocytoid cells and lysozyme-positive hemophagocytes were also significantly increased. No metaphases were obtained by cytogenetic studies and Southern blot analysis of spleen cell DNA demonstrated only germ bands of immunoglobulin and both T gamma and beta genes, providing no evidence of monoclonality in this case of so-called malignant histiocytosis.
Imashuku
S
S
Division of Pediatrics, Children's Research Hospital, Kyoto, Japan.
Ikushima
S
S
Yoshihara
T
T
Todo
S
S
Umemoto
J
J
Hashida
T
T
Fushiki
S
S
Yumura-Yagi
K
K
Ha-Kawa
K
K