Reactivity of T cells in mycosis fungoides exhibiting marked epidermotropism with the monoclonal antibody HML-1 that defines a membrane molecule on human mucosal lymphocytes

• Published in: The American journal of pathology Vol. 134; no. 5; pp. 955 - 960
• Main Authors: Sperling, M, Kaudewitz, P, Braun-Falco, O, Stein, H
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Bethesda, MD ASIP 01.05.1989; American Society for Investigative Pathology
• Subjects: Antibodies, Monoclonal - immunology; Antigen-Antibody Reactions; Antigens, Differentiation - immunology; Biological and medical sciences; Cell Membrane - immunology; Epidermis - immunology; Epidermis - pathology; Hematologic and hematopoietic diseases; Humans; Intestinal Mucosa - immunology; Intestinal Mucosa - ultrastructure; Leukemias. Malignant lymphomas. Malignant reticulosis. Myelofibrosis; Lymphoma - immunology; Medical sciences; Mycosis Fungoides - immunology; Mycosis Fungoides - pathology; Skin Neoplasms - immunology; Skin Neoplasms - pathology; T-Lymphocytes - immunology; Human; Immunohistochemistry; Skin disease; Cutaneous hematologic disease; T-Lymphocyte; Mycosis fungoides; Epidermis; Tumor; Hemopathy; Monoclonal antibody; Non Hodgkin lymphoma; Cell subpopulation
• ISSN: 0002-9440; 1525-2191

Twenty-eight cases of cutaneous T cell lymphomas of mycosis fungoides type, 8 of which showed a marked epidermotropism, were investigated for their reactivity with the monoclonal antibody HML-1. This reagent selectively recognizes human benign and malignant intestinal T lymphocytes, but not benign or malignant lymph node T cells. In all cases, the majority of nonepithelium-associated T cells present in the corium were HML-1 negative. In the eight cases with marked epidermotropism, the intraepidermal (IED) T cells were HML-1 positive in three cases, and HML-1 negative in the remaining five cases. The HML-1 positive IED T cells tended to be localized preferentially in the basal layers, whereas the HML-1 negative IED T cells were more diffusely distributed throughout all epidermal cell layers or formed intra-epidermal aggregates. These findings provide further evidence that mycosis fungoides is not a single entity, but represents a group of neoplasms originating from different T cell subsets that have in common their tropism to epidermis and/or dermis, and thus have a similar clinical presentation.