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In angioimmunoblastic T-cell lymphoma, neoplastic T cells may be a minor cell population. A molecular single-cell and immunohistochemical study

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Abstract

The significance of T-cell proliferations in angioimmunoblastic lymphoma (AILD) is still enigmatic. Although classified as a malignant T-cell lymphoma in the World Health Organisation lymphoma classification, some cases of AILD lack dominant T-cell clones. In a previous study, based on single-cell polymerase chain reaction (PCR), we obtained similar results as studies of AILD using Southern blot or conventional PCR: some cases of AILD contained large T-cell clones, and, in other cases, T-cell clones were undetectable. As in single-cell studies, only a limited number of cells could be investigated; thus, we wanted to gain more insight into the amount and distribution of tumour cells. By applying triple immunofluorescent staining with antibodies directed against T-cell receptor Vβ-family-specific epitopes, we investigated T-cell populations in AILD and their localisation in the tissue in relation to B cells (CD20) and follicular dendritic cells (CD21). In two of five cases investigated, only a minority of the T-cells compartment belonged to the tumour clone. Neoplastic T cells were found throughout the tissue, including areas dominated by B cells.

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Acknowledgements

We thank Prof. Dr. med. Reza Parwaresch and Prof. Dr. med. Hans-Heinrich Wacker for contributing tissue of AILD cases, Prof. Dr. rer. nat. Ralf Küppers for helpful discussion and Ekaterini Hadzoglou for excellent technical support. This work was supported by the Deutsche Krebshilfe, Dr. Mildred Scheel Stiftung.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Senckenbergisches Institut für Pathologie, Klinikum der Johann Wolfgang Goethe Universität, Theodor Stern Kai 7, 60590 , Frankfurt am Main, Germany

    Klaus Willenbrock, Christoph Renné & Martin-Leo Hansmann

  2. Department of Pathology, Hôpital Henri Mondor, Créteil, France

    Philippe Gaulard

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  1. Klaus Willenbrock
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  2. Christoph Renné
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  3. Philippe Gaulard
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  4. Martin-Leo Hansmann
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Correspondence to Klaus Willenbrock.

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Willenbrock, K., Renné, C., Gaulard, P. et al. In angioimmunoblastic T-cell lymphoma, neoplastic T cells may be a minor cell population. A molecular single-cell and immunohistochemical study. Virchows Arch 446, 15–20 (2005). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00428-004-1114-1

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00428-004-1114-1

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