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Clonotypic Heterogeneity in Cutaneous T-Cell Lymphomas¹

Laboratoire d'Oncologie Moléculaire, Centre Jean Perrin, BP 392, 63011 [Y.-J. B., Y. F., D. B., J. C., F. R., P. C., R. P.]; Service de Dermatologie, Hôtel-Dieu, 63003, [Y-J. B., P. S., H. R., M. D.]; and Laboratoire de Biochimie Médicale, CJF Inserm 88.06, UFR de Médecine, BP 38, 63001 [Y-J. B., B. D.], Clermont-Ferrand Cedex, France

The antigen receptor genes studied (immunoglobulin gene for B-cells, and T-cell receptor -ß or - gene for T-cells) represent the most powerful tools for diagnosing the clonality of a lymphoid lineage. We have clonotyped 23 cutaneous T-cell lymphomas and 5 were found to be clonotypically all heterogeneous. Analysis of each patient was performed either from serial skin biopsies taken several months apart or from different tumor samples. In these cases, T-cell lymphoma clonotypic heterogeneity was demonstrated and was especially evident when examining different tumor sites. Moreover, in one case, a biogenotypic population (immunoglobulin and T-cell receptor-rearranged) was found. This unexpected high frequency of T-cell clonal heterogeneity (22%) could be explained either by the evolution of subclones from a single undifferentiated malignant cell or by the independent transformation to cancer of 2 or more lymphocytes, though the latter seems less likely. Clonotypic heterogeneity seems to be as frequent in T-cell lymphomas with cutaneous lesions as in B-cell leukemias.

¹ This work was supported by the Ligue Nationale de Lutte contre le Cancer and the Ligue Départementale de Lutte contre le Cancer du Puy-de-Dôme.

² To whom requests for reprints should be addressed, at Centre Jean Perrin, BP 392, Place Henri-Dunant, 63011 Clermont-Ferrand Cedex, France.

Received 1/12/90. Accepted 7/ 3/90.

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