T-cell receptor gene rearrangements as clinical markers of human T-cell lymphomas

• Published in: The New England journal of medicine Vol. 313; no. 9; p. 534
• Main Authors: Bertness, V, Kirsch, I, Hollis, G, Johnson, B, Bunn, Jr, P A
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: United States 29-08-1985
• Subjects: B-Lymphocytes; Cell Line; Clone Cells; DNA, Neoplasm - analysis; Humans; Immunoglobulins - genetics; Leukemia - genetics; Lymphoma - diagnosis; Lymphoma - genetics; Mycosis Fungoides - genetics; Nucleic Acid Hybridization; Receptors, Antigen, T-Cell - genetics; Sezary Syndrome - genetics; T-Lymphocytes
• ISSN: 0028-4793
• DOI: 10.1056/NEJM198508293130902

The ability to detect immunoglobulin-gene rearrangements has proved useful in confirming diagnoses of suspected B-cell lymphomas and in establishing their monoclonality. By analogy, we employed a cloned DNA probe for the beta chain of the T-cell receptor gene to determine whether gene rearrangements were present in human T-cell neoplasms representing various stages of T-cell development. Gene rearrangements were present in all cases of T-cell disorders except a single case of T gamma lymphocytosis, a disorder that has not been proved to be a clonal T-cell neoplasm. A germline gene configuration was present in all patients with non-T-cell neoplasms and in normal tissues from patients with T-cell lymphoma. The probe promises to be useful for confirming the pathological an immunologic diagnosis in difficult cases of T-cell disorders and for assessing the extent of disease.