Premium
Chronic eosinophilic pneumonia associated with cutaneous T‐cell lymphoma
Author(s) -
Hirshberg Boaz,
Kramer Mordechai R.,
Lotem Michal,
Barak Vivian,
Shustin Larisa,
Amir Gail,
BenYehuda Dina,
BenYehuda Arie
Publication year - 1999
Publication title -
american journal of hematology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 2.456
H-Index - 105
eISSN - 1096-8652
pISSN - 0361-8609
DOI - 10.1002/(sici)1096-8652(199902)60:2<143::aid-ajh11>3.0.co;2-q
Subject(s) - eosinophilic pneumonia , medicine , eosinophilia , pulmonary eosinophilia , pneumonia , immunology , lymphoma , cytokine , eosinophilic , pathology , respiratory disease , eosinophil , lung , asthma
Cutaneous T‐cell lymphomas (CTCL) are diseases characterized by cutaneous infiltrates of malignant clonally expanded T cells. CTCL cells exhibit a cytokine profile consistent with T helper‐2 type (TH 2 ) cells. Eosinophilic pneumonias are individual syndromes characterized by eosinophilic pulmonary infiltrates and commonly peripheral blood eosinophilia. CTCL and chronic eosinophilic pneumonia are rare clinical entities. We report a patient with the association of CTCL and chronic eosinophilic pneumonia. To understand the mechanism leading to the eosinophilia, we examined the patient's cytokine profile. This was consistent with a high TH 2 activity. Her interleukin (IL) 5, 6, and 10 levels were extremely high, while her IL‐2 and interferon‐γ (IFN‐γ) levels (TH 1 profile) were low. We believe that eosinophilic pneumonia in this patient is probably secondary to high TH 2 cytokine levels induced by tumor cells. We suggest that eosinophilic pneumonia should be considered as a possible diagnosis in patients with CTCL who have respiratory complaints. Am. J. Hematol. 60:143–147, 1999. © 1999 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.