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Nodal T/NK‐cell lymphoma of nasal type: a clinicopathological study of six cases
Author(s) -
Takahashi E,
Asano N,
Li C,
Tanaka T,
Shimada K,
Shimada S,
Yoshino T,
Kojima M,
Hara K,
Eimoto T,
Nakamura S
Publication year - 2008
Publication title -
histopathology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.626
H-Index - 124
eISSN - 1365-2559
pISSN - 0309-0167
DOI - 10.1111/j.1365-2559.2008.02997.x
Subject(s) - lymphoma , t cell lymphoma , peripheral t cell lymphoma , natural killer cell , perforin , granzyme b , pathology , lymph node , t cell , biology , cytotoxic t cell , medicine , cd8 , cancer research , immunology , antigen , immune system , biochemistry , in vitro
Aims: To investigate the clinicopathological features of six unusual cases of nodal CD56+ and Epstein–Barr virus (EBV)+ T/natural killer (NK)‐cell lymphoma, a putative nodal counterpart of nasal NK/T‐cell lymphoma (nodal T/NK‐cell lymphoma of nasal type) in comparison with nasal NK/T‐cell lymphoma with secondary lymph node involvement ( n = 24) and peripheral T‐cell lymphoma (PTCL) of cytotoxic molecule (CTM)+ and EBV+ type ( n = 21). Methods and results: All cases of nodal T/NK‐cell lymphoma of nasal type exhibited diffuse infiltration of pleomorphic medium‐sized to large tumour cells, reminiscent of those in CTM+ EBV+ PTCL. The tumour cells had a typical phenotype of nasal NK/T‐cell lymphoma: CD2+, CD3ε+, CD4−, CD5−, CD56+, T‐cell intracellular antigen‐1+, granzyme B+, perforin+ and EBV+. However, four of six cases demonstrated clonal T‐cell receptor γ‐gene rearrangement on polymerase chain reaction analysis, unlike nasal NK/T‐cell lymphoma. Comparison of clinical parameters and overall survival among the three groups demonstrated only minor differences. Conclusions: Nodal T/NK‐cell lymphoma may occupy the grey zone between extranodal nasal‐type NK/T‐cell lymphoma and nodal CTM+ PTCL in a spectrum of NK to T‐cell lymphomas that are EBV+. The close relationship between NK/T‐cell lymphomas and cytotoxic T‐cell lymphomas was also substantiated.