Demonstration of the oligoclonality of an enteropathy associated T-cell lymphoma by monoclonal antibodies and PCR analysis of the T-cell receptor V-beta repertoire on fixed tissue

The apparent clonality of T cells present in enteropathy associated T cell lymphomas (EATCLs) has previously been reported by showing T cell receptor (TCR) gene rearrangement in fresh tumor tissue. The EATCL presented here exhibits the novel phenotype CD3(+), HML-1(+), CD4(+), CD8(+), and TCR V beta 8(+). The oligoclonality of the tumor cells is shown using the polymerase chain reaction (PCR) on cDNA from RNA extracted from formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded tissue. The T cells present in the lymphoma were predominantly TCR V beta 8(+). (C) 1996 by W.B. Saunders Company