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The immunopathology of hypopigmented mycosis fungoides *
Author(s) -
RUSTIN M.H.A.,
GRIFFITHS M.,
RIDLEY C.M.
Publication year - 1986
Publication title -
clinical and experimental dermatology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.587
H-Index - 78
eISSN - 1365-2230
pISSN - 0307-6938
DOI - 10.1111/j.1365-2230.1986.tb00472.x
Subject(s) - mycosis fungoides , cytotoxic t cell , pathology , antiserum , biology , t lymphocyte , medicine , immunology , immune system , antigen , lymphoma , biochemistry , in vitro
Summary Two dark‐skinned patients presented with well‐defined hypopigmented macules, a biopsy of which showed the characteristic features of mycosis fungoides. Immunohistochemical studies with UCHT1 antiserum (a pan T cell marker) confirmed the almost complete T lymphocyte nature of the infiltrate. UCHT4 antiserum (a suppressor/cytotoxic marker) showed that the epidermal infiltrate consisted predominantly of T suppressor/cytotoxic cells and Leu3a antiserum (a T helper cell marker) showed that the dermal infiltrate was composed of helper and suppressor/cytotoxic cells in approximately equal proportions. Ultrastructural studies identified normal melanocytes in the basal layer of the epidermis from both patients but mitochondrial vacuolation was seen occasionally in Case 2. We believe that this is the first report which documents T cell subsets in skin biopsies from patients with hypopigmented mycosis fungoides. The finding of a predominance of suppressor/cytotoxic T lymphocytes in the epidermal infiltrate of these two patients contrasts with the usual predominance of T helper lymphocytes in the more common forms of mycosis fungoides.