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T‐cell receptor β variable region (Vβ) usage in cutaneous T‐cell lymphomas (CTCL) in comparison to normal and eczematous skin
Author(s) -
Potocztascha,
Boehncke WolfHenning,
Nestle Frank O.,
Küenzlen Christiane,
Sterry Wolfram,
Burg Günter,
Dummer Reinhard
Publication year - 1996
Publication title -
journal of cutaneous pathology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.597
H-Index - 75
eISSN - 1600-0560
pISSN - 0303-6987
DOI - 10.1111/j.1600-0560.1996.tb01301.x
Subject(s) - mycosis fungoides , lymphomatoid papulosis , cd8 , medicine , clone (java method) , t cell , cutaneous t cell lymphoma , eczematous dermatitis , peripheral t cell lymphoma , t cell receptor , beta (programming language) , lymphoproliferative disorders , pathology , dermatology , immunology , lymphoma , antigen , biology , immune system , dna , genetics , computer science , programming language
Cutaneous T‐cell lymphomas (CTCL) are a heterogeneous group of lymphoproliferative disorders. We investigated the variable region (Vβ) of the T‐cell receptor (TCR) repertoire in CTCL and compared it to the Vβ repertoire in normal and eczematous skin. We used a panel of 21 anti‐Vβ antibodies and investigated 84 biopsies of 71 CTCL patients (4 parapsoriasis en grandes plaques (PA), 1 lymphomatoid papulosis, 29 mycosis fungoides (MF), 13 Sezary syndrome (SS), 1 CD8+ CTCL, 11 pleomorphic CTCL (PLEO), 12 CTCL not classified). Six biopsies of normal skin and 6 of eczematous skin lesions served as controls. We determined the frequency of the Vβ in normal and inflamed skin and compared it to the percentage of the respective Vβ in the malignant clone of the CTCL patients. The percentage of the Vβ positive CD4+ cells in relation to the total number of T cells in normal skin and inflamed skin differed from the distribution of the Vβ families in the peripheral blood monoiiuclear cells (PBMC). Out of 71 CTCL cases, the clone was identified in 23 (32%). We identified the following clones : 1 V03.1 (1 MF), 7 V05.1 (1 CD8+ CTCL.l CTCL not classified, 1 MF, 1 PA, 3 SS), 1 V|36.7 (1 SS), 7 Vβ8.1/8.2 (2 CTCL not classified,! PLEO, 2 MF, 2 SS), 1 V012.1 (1 PLEO), 3 Vβl7.1 (2 CTCL not classified, 1 MF), 2 Vβ22.1 (1 CTCL not classified, 1 MF), 1 TCR8 (SS). The frequency of the malignant clone Vβ usage corresponded well to the repertoire of Vβ in eczematous skin but not to the repertoire in PBMC. In 6 patients, the malignant clone was mainly localized in the epidermis. In 17 cases, the clone‐specific cells were distributed in epidermis and dermis equally. A retrospective analysis showed that preferential epidermal homing of the clone was associated with a non‐aggressive clinical course. The Vβ usage of CTCL and eczema suggests a special cutaneous microenvironment which might be co‐created by certain (bacterial?) superantigens. A preferential epidermal homing of the clone might have prognostic implications.