T-cell Receptor (TCR) Phenotype of Nodal Epstein-Barr Virus (EBV)-positive Cytotoxic T-cell Lymphoma (CTL). (April 2015)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Kato, Seiichi; Asano, Naoko; Miyata-Takata, Tomoko; Takata, Katsuyoshi; Elsayed, Ahmed Ali; Satou, Akira; Takahashi, Emiko; Kinoshita, Tomohiro; Nakamura, Shigeo
• Is Part Of: American journal of surgical pathology. Volume 39:Number 4(2015)
• Publication Date: 2015-04
• Subjects: Pathology, Surgical -- Periodicals; 617.0705
• DOI: 10.1097/PAS.0000000000000323
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0147-5185

Abstract

<abstract> <title> <x xml:space="preserve">Abstract</x> </title> <sec> <p>Among Epstein-Barr virus (EBV)-positive cytotoxic T/NK-cell lymphoma, there are only a few reports on the clinicopathologic features of patients with primary nodal presentation (nodal EBV<sup>+</sup> cytotoxic T-cell lymphoma [CTL]). Here, we compared the clinicopathologic profiles of 39 patients with nodal EBV<sup>+</sup> CTL with those of 27 cases of "extranasal" NK/T-cell lymphoma of nasal type (ENKTL), especially addressing their T-cell receptor (TCR) phenotype. Histologically, 22 of 39 nodal EBV<sup>+</sup> CTL cases (56%) were unique in having centroblastoid appearance, which was contrasted with the lower incidence of this feature in ENKTL (15%, <italic>P</italic>=0.001). In contrast, pleomorphic appearance was more frequently seen in ENKTL than in nodal EBV<sup>+</sup> CTL (67% vs. 23%, <italic>P</italic>=0.001). Thirty-three of 39 nodal EBV<sup>+</sup> CTL cases (85%) were of T-cell lineage on the basis of TCR expression and/or <italic>TCRγ</italic> gene rearrangement; in detail, 18 cases (46%) were TCRβ positive (αβ T), 5 (13%) were TCRγ and/or δ positive (γδ T), and 10 (26%) were TCR-silent type with clonal <italic>TCR</italic>γ gene rearrangement but no expression of TCRβ, γ, or δ. These results were clearly contrasted by a lower incidence of T-cell lineage in ENKTL (7 cases, 26%, <italic>P</italic><0.001). Notably, the survival time of the 5 nodal lymphoma patients with γδ T-cell phenotype was within 3 months, which was inferior to those of αβ T and TCR-silent types (<italic>P</italic>=0.003), and 3 of those with available clinical information were all found to be associated with autoimmune diseases. These data suggest that nodal EBV<sup>+</sup> CTL is distinct from ENKTL.</p> </sec> </abstract>