This Article Order Full text via Infotrieve Services Similar articles in this journal Similar articles in PubMed Alert me to new issues of the journal Download to citation manager Citing Articles Citing Articles via HighWire Citing Articles via Google Scholar Google Scholar Articles by Picker, L. J. Articles by Warnke, R. A. Search for Related Content PubMed PubMed Citation Articles by Picker, L. J. Articles by Warnke, R. A.

American Journal of Pathology, Vol 128, 181-201, Copyright © 1987 by American Society for Investigative Pathology

REVIEWS

Immunophenotypic criteria for the diagnosis of non-Hodgkin's lymphoma

LJ Picker, LM Weiss, LJ Medeiros, GS Wood and RA Warnke

This study examines the immunohistologic profiles of a large series of histologically proven benign and malignant lymphoproliferative processes in order to define immunophenotypic criteria useful in the diagnosis of non-Hodgkin's lymphoma. Using a method of analysis relying solely on immunoarchitectural features of a given case, the authors were able to define immunologic criteria capable of differentiating benign from malignant lymphoid processes independent from conventional morphologic analysis. In general, these criteria involved identification of abnormal expression or loss of antigens in B- and T- lineage populations. Among B-lineage populations the following features were associated with malignant histology: 1) light-chain-restricted B lineage, 2) light chain -B lineage, 3) Leu-1+ B lineage, 4) L60+ B lineage, 5) 41H+, Ki-67+ B lineage, 6) loss of pan-B antigens, and 7) LFA-1-B lineage. Among T-cell populations outside the thymus, phenotypes associated with malignancy included 1) loss of pan-T antigens (including loss of the beta chain of the T-cell antigen receptor), 2) coexpression or loss of T-subset antigens, 3) Leu-6+ T- lineage, and 4) MB-1+ T lineage. Application of these criteria to a series of nearly 500 cases of lymphoma indicated that over 90% of B- lineage and about 80% of T-lineage neoplasms manifested immunophenotypic abnormalities that could distinguish them from benign, reactive lymphoid processes. It is concluded that immunophenotypic analysis of lymphoproliferative lesions is sufficiently sensitive and specific to confirm the histologic diagnosis of lymphoma in the vast majority of cases seen in clinical practice. Furthermore, in difficult cases or those with limited material or poor histology, immunophenotypic analysis may be the only means of making a definitive diagnosis.

This article has been cited by other articles:

				O V Moshynska and A Saxena Clonal relationship between Hashimoto thyroiditis and thyroid lymphoma J. Clin. Pathol., April 1, 2008; 61(4): 438 - 444. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				E. Geissinger, I. Bonzheim, L. Krenacs, S. Roth, P. Strobel, G. Ott, P. Reimer, M. Wilhelm, H. K. Muller-Hermelink, and T. Rudiger Identification of the Tumor Cells in Peripheral T-Cell Lymphomas by Combined Polymerase Chain Reaction-Based T-Cell Receptor {beta} Spectrotyping and Immunohistological Detection with T-Cell Receptor {beta} Chain Variable Region Segment-Specific Antibodies J. Mol. Diagn., October 1, 2005; 7(4): 455 - 464. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				M.-w. Su, I. Dorocicz, W. H. Dragowska, V. Ho, G. Li, N. Voss, R. Gascoyne, and Y. Zhou Aberrant Expression of T-Plastin in Sezary Cells Cancer Res., November 1, 2003; 63(21): 7122 - 7127. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				T. Rudiger, D. D. Weisenburger, J. R. Anderson, J. O. Armitage, J. Diebold, K. A. MacLennan, B. N. Nathwani, F. Ullrich, and H. K. Muller-Hermelink Peripheral T-cell lymphoma (excluding anaplastic large-cell lymphoma): results from the Non-Hodgkin's Lymphoma Classification Project Ann. Onc., January 19, 2002; 13(1): 140 - 149. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				J. O. Jacobson and L. de Leval Case 34-2001- A 54-Year-Old Woman with Multiple Sclerosis, Prolonged Fever, and Skin Nodules N. Engl. J. Med., November 8, 2001; 345(19): 1409 - 1415. [Full Text] [PDF]

				F. Facchetti, J. K. C. Chan, W. Zhang, A. Tironi, M. Chilosi, S. Parolini, L. D. Notarangelo, and L. E. Samelson Linker for Activation of T Cells (LAT), a Novel Immunohistochemical Marker for T Cells, NK Cells, Mast Cells, and Megakaryocytes : Evaluation in Normal and Pathological Conditions Am. J. Pathol., April 1, 1999; 154(4): 1037 - 1046. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]