Expression of apoptosis, proliferating cell nuclear antigen, and apoptosis-related antigens (bcl-2, c-myc, Fas, Lewis and p53) in human cholangiocarcinomas and hepatocellular carcinomas

In situ expression of apoptosis and its related antigens has rarely been evaluated in human liver tumors. Therefore, Investigation using in situ nick end-labelling and Immunohistochemical methods of the in situ expression of apoptosis, prollferating cells, and apoptosis-related antigens in 7 normal livers, 20 cholanglocarclnomas (CC) and 17 hepatocellular carclnomas (HCC) was done. Apoptotlc cells as determined by the nick end-labelling method and proliferating cell nuclear antigen-positive cells were present in all specimens, and the percentage of them was significantly higher in CC than In HCC. Bcl-2 protein was present only in one CC e+nd one HCC, but was occasionally noted in bile ducts in non-cancerous livers. C-myc and Fas antigens were not found in any of the cases. Lewis^y antigen was expressed In 8 CC, but was absent in the other cases although bile ducts In non-cancerous livers frequently expressed Lewis^y. p53 protein was present in 8 CC, but was absent in the other cases. Serial section observation showed that apoptotic cancer cells ware consistently negative for proliferating cell nuclear antigen; bcl-2-positive cells did not show apoptosis; p53-positive cancer cells showed apoptosis. Some Lewis^y positive cancer cells showed apoptosis, while others did not. These data suggest that apoptosis and cell proliferation are lnvolved in CC and HCC, and their degree is more severe in CC than In HCC. p53 protein (stimulative) may regulate apoptosis in some cases, whereas c-myc, Fas and Lewis^y are not relatad to apoptosb In CC and HCC in vivo . Many other factors may regulate apoptosis in CC and HCC in vivo .     

Expression of Bcl-2 protein and Fas antigen in non-Hodgkin's lymphomas.

Expression of Bcl-2 protein and Fas antigens was analyzed in 12 cases of follicular lymphoma and 32 cases of diffuse lymphoma, including 22 B-cell and 10 T-cell lymphomas. It was shown that 75% of follicular lymphomas had clear expression of both Bcl-2 protein and Fas antigen. Thus, follicular lymphomas may have a growth advantage due to their high expression of Bcl-2 protein, which tended to impede apoptosis mediated by Fas antigen. On the other hand, diffuse lymphomas showed various patterns; 28% were double positive, 16% were only Bcl-2 protein-positive, 28% were only Fas antigen-positive, and 28% were double negative or equivocal. Cytocidal assay of seven leukemia/lymphoma cell lines using anti-human Fas monoclonal antibody revealed that overexpression of Bcl-2 protein tended to impede apoptosis mediated by Fas antigen. However, this inhibitory effect of Bcl-2 protein was incomplete and its effect might be dependent upon cell type.     

Significance of C4d deposition in the follicular lymphoma and MALT lymphoma and their relationship with follicular dendritic cells

We evaluated the deposition of C4d in follicular lymphomas (FL) and extranodal marginal zone B-cell lymphomas of mucosa-associated lymphoid tissue (MALT lymphoma). Deposition of C4d was detected in 118 lymphoma tissues from patients with lymphoma and in 20 reactive hyperplasia lymphadens (RHL) using immunohistochemistical methods. FL, MALT lymphoma, and RHL were studied using double staining for CD35/C4d and Bcl-2/C4d. We studied 26 FL tissues, 19 of which showed C4d deposition. C4d deposition was detected around the follicular dendritic cells (FDCs) in the neoplastic follicles. There was no significant difference between the positive ratio of C4d and the grades of FL. We studied 12 MALT lymphoma tissues, six of which displayed C4d deposition. In these tissues, C4d deposition was detected in the peripheral region of partially colonized follicles in the form of an irregular ring, but was not found in the central region. C4d deposition was negative in completely colonized follicles. There was no C4d deposition in diffuse large B-cell lymphomas, mantle cell lymphomas, B-small lymphocytic lymphomas, T-lymphoblastic lymphomas, peripheral T-cell lymphomas, and anaplastic large cell lymphomas. C4d around the FDCs in the neoplastic follicles was a specific indicator for FL. C4d deposition in partially colonized follicles of MALT lymphoma was completely different from that in neoplastic follicles of FL, forming a key point for differential diagnosis.     

Proliferation and apoptosis in primary gastric B-cell non-Hodgkin's lymphoma

To elucidate the role of cell turnover in primary gastric B-cell non-Hodgkin's lymphomas we studied tissue samples of 72 patients—26 small cell (25 MALT lymphomas) and 46 large cell (31 MALT lymphomas). Proliferation indices and apoptotic indices were measured by Mib-1 expression and terminal deoxynucleotidyl-transferase (TdT)-mediated nick end labelling, respectively. Furthermore, expression of the apoptosis related gene-products bcl-2 and p53 was studied. Large cell lymphomas showed significantly higher proliferation indices (59.1% vs. 15.4%) and apoptotic indices (3.2% vs. 0.7%) than small cell lymphomas. Proliferation and apoptotic indices were positively correlated ( r =0.371, P =0.03). Expression of the bcl-2 protein was significantly higher in the small cell lymphomas. Furthermore, cases with a high bcl-2 expression showed both a significantly decreased proliferation ( P <0.0001) and apoptotic index ( P =0.0096) compared to bcl-2 negative cases. Expression of the mutant p53 protein was present in 8.0% of small cell and in 18.2% of large cell lymphomas. p53 positive cases showed significantly higher proliferation indices, but showed no correlation with apoptotic index. These data suggest that impaired apoptosis by bcl-2 may be more prominent than proliferation in the genesis of small cell lymphomas, whereas a high cell turnover characterizes large cell primary gastric lymphomas.     

Expression in non-Hodgkin's lymphoma of the bcl-2 protein associated with the t(14;18) chromosomal translocation

For many non-Hodgkin's lymphomas, the bcl-2 gene has been implicated as a likely proto-oncogene, since it is consistently located at or near the breakpoint sites of t(14;18) chromosomal translocations. To define the role of the protein product of the bcl-2 gene in lymphoid cancers, we used anti-bcl-2 antibodies to perform immunohistochemical studies of frozen sections of 136 tissue specimens affected by lymphoma or non-neoplastic lymphoid disorders. Immunoreactive bcl-2 protein was observed in the neoplastic cells in almost all the follicular lymphomas, whereas no bcl-2 protein was detected in follicles affected by non-neoplastic processes or in normal lymphoid tissue. Every tumor with molecular-genetic evidence of t(14;18) translocation expressed detectable levels of bcl-2 protein, regardless of whether the breakpoint was located in or at a distance from the bcl-2 gene. These data show consistent expression of a proto-oncogenic protein in a large proportion of non-Hodgkin's lymphomas and provide further support of a role for bcl-2 in the pathogenesis of all lymphomas with the t(14;18) karyotypic abnormality. Increased expression of bcl-2 after t(14;18) translocations may be a specific marker for B-cell cancers, and demonstration of the protein with use of anti-bcl-2 antibodies could be useful in the diagnosis of many non-Hodgkin's lymphomas.     

Follicular lymphomas of the gastrointestinal tract. Pathologic features in 31 cases and bcl-2 oncogenic protein expression.

The gastrointestinal tract is the most common site for extranodal lymphomas, but follicular lymphomas involving the gut are rare. To study their pathologic features and bcl-2 expression, 31 follicular lymphomas of the GI tract were reviewed and unstained paraffin sections from 24 of the cases were immunohistochemically stained using a monoclonal antibody for the peptide product of the proto-oncogene bcl-2. The most common site of lymphoma involvement was the small intestine, especially the terminal ileum. Gastric lymphomas tended to present clinically with symptomatic ulcers and small intestinal lesions presented with obstruction. Five cases involving the terminal ileum or colon had a gross appearance of multitudinous mucosal polyps and were considered to represent examples of "multiple lymphomatous polyposis." Enhanced expression of the bcl-2 oncogenic protein was detectable in lymphoma cells in 75% of cases and at lower levels in normal lymphoid cells in most cases. Small cleaved or mixed cell lymphomas were more likely to show enhanced expression than were large cell cases. Reactive germinal centers showed no bcl-2 staining. It is concluded that follicular GI lymphomas are associated with distinctive pathological features. In their tendency to express bcl-2, these neoplasms resemble their lymph node-based counterparts. Immunohistochemical staining for enhanced bcl-2 expression is of potential diagnostic utility in distinguishing between follicular lymphoma and follicular lymphoid hyperplasia in the gastrointestinal tract. The relevance of the results to lymphoma of mucosa-associated lymphoid tissue (MALT) is discussed.     

bcl-10蛋白异常表达对黏膜相关淋巴组织结外边缘区B细胞淋巴瘤的诊断价值

目的探讨bcl-10蛋白表达对黏膜相关淋巴组织结外边缘区B细胞淋巴瘤（MALT淋巴瘤）的诊断价值。方法收集140例不同部位的MALT淋巴瘤,包括胃38例、眼眶35例、肠16例、皮肤15例、涎腺15例、肺14例、甲状腺3例、其他部位4例。对照：10例扁桃体反应性滤泡增生（RFH）、5例眼眶的淋巴组织增生和143例非MALT淋巴瘤、不同类型的非霍奇金淋巴瘤（NHL）,包括20例NK／T细胞淋巴瘤、20例滤泡性淋巴瘤（FL）、20例间变性大细胞淋巴瘤（ALCL）、20例淋巴结内弥漫大B细胞淋巴瘤（DLBCL）、10例原发胃DLBCL、13例淋巴结边缘区淋巴瘤（NMZL）、12例套细胞淋巴瘤（MCL）、11例脾脏边缘区淋巴瘤（SMZL）、6例血管免疫母细胞性T细胞淋巴瘤（AITL）、6例外周T细胞淋巴瘤（PTCL）、3例B．小淋巴细胞淋巴瘤（B-SLL）、1例淋巴浆细胞性淋巴瘤（LPL）和1例浆细胞瘤。免疫组织化学EnVision法检测bcl-10蛋白;免疫组织化学双标记法检测CD20与bcl-10的共表达。结果在扁桃体RFH中,bel-10蛋白呈中等强度表达于生发中心B细胞质中,套细胞不表达,边缘区细胞和副皮质区T细胞呈弱表达。在眼眶淋巴组织增生中,2例bel-10阴性,3例主要呈淋巴滤泡生发中心B细胞质阳性,与扁桃体RFH的表达类似。在非MALT淋巴瘤的其他类型NHL中,除3例（3／10）原发胃DLBCL呈胞核阳性外,其余均未见胞核表达;在不同NHL中的胞质阳性分别为：结内（12／20）和胃（7／10）DLBCL、FL和ALCL（16／20）、PTCL（5／6）、AILT（6／6）、NMZL（13／13）、SMZL（11／11）、B-SLL（3／3）和浆细胞瘤（1／1）,11例MCL呈胞质可疑阳性,20例NK／T细胞淋巴瘤和1例LPL阴性;在部分淋巴瘤中可见肿瘤性细胞表达而反应性小淋巴细胞不表达：MALT淋巴瘤之bcl-10的总表达率为92．1％（129／140）,其中54．3％（76／140）胞质阳性,37．9％（53／140）胞核阳性;但不同部位之胞核阳性率有所不同。在MALT淋巴瘤中,bcl-10蛋白核强表达最常见于眼眶（25．7％,9／35）;除出现异常bcl-10胞核表达外,约20％有反应性滤泡的病例呈生发中心失表达。双标记显示bcl-10阳性细胞为CD20阳性细胞,但CD20阳性细胞多于bcl-10阳性细胞。结论（1）淋巴细胞增生性病变中bcl-10蛋白普遍表达,细胞质表达可出现在多数NHL和反应性增生中,但在淋巴瘤中呈肿瘤细胞表达而反应性细胞不表达,提示bcl-10异常可能与部分淋巴瘤的形成有关;（2）细胞核内bcl-10异常表达主要见于MALT淋巴瘤;眼眶、肺等部位的胞核强阳性和生发中心阴性的特殊模式,对MALT淋巴瘤的诊断及其与反应性病变的鉴别诊断有一定辅助意义。     

DISTRIBUTION OF HNK-1+ CELLS IN MALIGNANT LYMPHOMAS

HNK-1, a murine monoclonal antibody, is known to react with most of the natural killer (NK) and killer (K) cells in peripheral blood. Cells reacting with this antibody (HNK-1⁺ cells) were studied on tissue sections of ninety two cases of malignant lymphomas (MLs) by using immunoperoxidase technique, in an attempt to elucidate the role of this type of cells in MLs. Follicular lymphomas were found to be highly infiltrated with HNK-1⁺ cells. The mode of infiltration in follicular lymphomas is just like in normal germinal centers. Many cases of diffuse lymphomas with cleaved nuclei, indicative of diffuse B-cell lymphomas of follicular center cell origin, as well as diffuse ML with heavy fibrosis (sclerosis) or histiocytic reaction, were also found to be infiltrated with abundant HNK-1+ cells. Meanwhile, other types of B-cell ML and all types of T-cell ML, as well as Hodgkin's disease, were shown to be very poor in HNK-1⁺ cell reaction. From a prognostic viewpoint, the low grade malignancy group in the NCI Working Formulation or Kiel Classification was found to be infiltrated with significantly much more HNK-1⁺ cells as compared to the high grade malignancy group. The significance of these findings are discussed, with the stress on the possible suppressive function of HNK-1+ cells on proliferation and differentiation of follicular center cell type B-cell MLs. ACTA PATHOL. JPN. 35: 339–350, 1985.     

The bcl-2 gene in primary B cell lymphoma of mucosa-associated lymphoid tissue (MALT).

The bcl-2 gene rearrangement representing t(14:18) chromosomal translocation is the most frequent karyotypic abnormality in non-Hodgkin's lymphomas of follicle center-cell lineage. By using three bcl-2 DNA probes, 21 cases of non-Hodgkin's B cell lymphoma arising from gastrointestinal mucosa and eight cases of follicular lymphomas were examined. No rearrangement of the gene could be detected in the group of gastrointestinal lymphomas, although it was identified in 75% of the follicular lymphomas. The findings suggest that these two groups of lymphomas are not a family at genetic level and support the earlier suggestion that B cell lymphomas arising from gastrointestinal mucosa-associated lymphoid tissue are not of follicle center-cell lineage.     

Immunohistochemical detection of p53 and Bcl-2 proteins in Hashimoto's thyroiditis and primary thyroid lymphomas.

AIMS--To investigate whether immunohistochemical staining using p53 and/or bcl-2 distinguishes between florid Hashimoto's thyroiditis and low grade mucosa associated lymphoid tissue (MALT) lymphoma of the thyroid. METHODS--Ten cases of Hashimoto's thyroiditis and eight of primary thyroid lymphoma were stained with monoclonal antibodies directed against p53 and bcl-2. RESULTS--In Hashimoto's thyroiditis most small lymphoid cells in mantle zones, within the thyroid parenchyma and in lymphoepithelial lesions expressed bcl-2 protein. Very occasional centroblasts in reactive germinal centres were positive for p53, but all other lymphoid cells from cases of Hashimoto's disease were negative for p53. In diffuse, low grade lymphomas bcl-2 protein was uniformly expressed by most tumour cells. However, low grade lymphomas with a follicular pattern did not express bcl-2. The diffuse, low grade lymphomas were negative for p53, while occasional larger cells in the follicular subtype were positive. Both high grade lymphomas were bcl-2 negative but strongly p53 positive. CONCLUSIONS--This study indicates that there is an inverse correlation between p53 and bcl-2 immunostaining in thyroid lymphomas (low grade lymphomas: bcl-2 positive, p53 negative; high grade lymphomas: bcl-2 negative, p53 positive). Furthermore, immunohistochemical staining for bcl-2 and p53 proteins does not distinguish florid Hashimoto's thyroiditis from diffuse, low grade thyroid lymphoma.     

caspase-3、bcl-2蛋白在非霍奇金淋巴瘤组织的表达及其与细胞凋亡和增殖的关系

目的探讨caspase-3、bcl-2蛋白在非霍奇金淋巴瘤(NHL)发生、发展中的可能作用及相互关系.方法应用TdT介导的dUTP缺口末端标记(TUNEL)技术和免疫组织化学链霉素抗生物素-过氧化酶(SP)法,检测5例反应性增生淋巴组织和119例NHL组织中的细胞凋亡和增殖细胞核抗原(PCNA)、caspase-3、bcl-2蛋白的表达水平.结果 caspase-3和bcl-2在119例NHL中表达的阳性率分别为86.6%(103例)和53.8%(64例).二者在良、恶性淋巴组织中的表达方式相反在反应性增生淋巴滤泡中心caspase-3高表达而bcl-2阴性表达,滤泡套区caspase-3阴性表达而bcl-2高表达;在肿瘤性滤泡中心bcl-2常高表达而caspase-3常表达减弱或不表达;在NHL中二者的表达与肿瘤恶性度呈相反关系,高度恶性组中caspase-3的表达(44.4%)高于低度恶性组(23.7%,P<0.01),而B细胞性淋巴瘤中bcl-2的表达(42.6%)低于低度恶性组(75.5%,P<0.01);caspase-3的表达与凋亡指数呈正相关(r=0.512, P <0.01)),bcl-2的表达与凋亡指数呈负相关(r=-0.436, P<0.01).此外,NHL的凋亡指数与增殖指数呈显著正相关(r=0.710, P<0.01).结论 caspase-3可能参与了NHL的凋亡调节机制.caspase-3和bcl-2蛋白在良、恶性淋巴组织中常呈现相反的表达方式,提示二者在淋巴细胞增殖动力学调节中可能存在着密切联系.     

Expression of Fas and Fas ligand in cutaneous B-cell lymphomas

Primary cutaneous B-cell lymphomas (CBCLs) represent a rare, but distinct group of B-cell neoplasms with a different clinical behaviour to B-cell lymphomas secondarily involving the skin. Fas-Fas ligand (Fasl) expression was investigated in a group of primary and secondary CBCLs to gain an insight into the putative role of these apoptotic molecules in the clinical behaviour of these lymphomas. Frozen and paraffin sections from 32 patients with a CBCL were investigated for Fas and Fasl expression, using immunohistochemistry. This group included 24 primary CBCLs [14 primary cutaneous follicle centre cell lymphomas (PCFCCLs), six primary cutaneous large B-cell lymphomas (PCLBCLs) on the leg, and four primary cutaneous immunocytomas] and eight secondary CBCLs. The results were correlated with follow-up data, bcl-2, and ICAM-1 expression. High Fas expression and absent or low Fasl expression were detected in the vast majority of PCFCCLs and immunocytomas. The group of PCLBCLs on the leg, which have an intermediate prognosis, showed variable results with relatively higher Fasl expression. The highest Fasl expression was found in the more aggressive secondary CBCLs whereas in this group, Fas was undetectable in five of eight cases. Statistical analysis showed that Fas and ICAM-1 expression was strongly related to a favourable prognosis, whereas expression of Fasl and bcl-2 was related to a very poor prognosis. Although only type of CBCL and age, but not Fas, Fasl, bcl-2, and ICAM-1 expression, proved independent prognostic parameters using multivariate analysis, the results of this study suggest that differences in the expression of Fas and Fasl, as well as bcl-2 and ICAM-1, contribute to the differences in clinical behaviour between these different types of CBCL.     

Expression of the bcl-2 oncogene protein is not specific for the 14;18 chromosomal translocation.

It has been reported previously that the bcl-2 protooncogene protein is detectable in neoplastic cells from cases of human lymphoma in which the 14;18 chromosomal translocation is present, but not in lymphomas that lack this chromosomal rearrangement or in normal lymphoid tissue. In the present study we confirmed, by immunohistologic labeling with polyclonal and monoclonal antibodies, that bcl-2 protein is strongly expressed in many cases of follicular lymphoma and that these neoplastic follicles differ clearly from their nonmalignant counterpart (reactive germinal centres) in which bcl-2 protein is undetectable. However we also found bcl-2 protein in normal T- and B-lymphoid cells and in a variety of lymphoproliferative disorders in which the 14;18 translocation is not present. It is therefore concluded that expression of bcl-2 protein is not a specific marker for lymphomas bearing the 14;18 chromosomal translocation and that the observations of other investigators may have reflected the inadequate sensitivity of their staining procedure.     

Chromosomal translocation detected by bcl-1 and bcl-2 rearrangement in low-grade B-cell lymphomas in a European population

Twenty-nine cases of non-Hodgkin's lymphoma of low-grade malignancy in a European population were investigated for the presence of bcl-2 and bcl-1 gene rearrangement. The cases were classified according to the Kiel classification. It was shown that bcl-2 gene rearrangements were exclusively confined to centroblastic-centrocytic lymphomas. bcl-1 rearrangements were found in two cases of chronic lymphocytic leukaemia. As the chromosomal translocation t(14;18) is reported to occur in up to 85% of follicular lymphomas, our results provide additional evidence that the differentiation of low-grade B-cell lymphomas according to the Kiel classification defines biologically distinct entities.     

bcl-2 expression by multicolor flow cytometric analysis assists in the diagnosis of follicular lymphoma in lymph node and bone marrow

The expression of bcl-2, CD10, and CD20 was examined by multicolor flow cytometry in 78 samples including lymph node or other tissue biopsy specimens containing follicular lymphoma (FL; n = 17), reactive hyperplasia (RH; n = 28), or other malignant lymphomas (n = 20), as well as bone marrow aspirates (n = 13). The presence of CD10+ cells with high bcl-2 expression predicted the presence of FL rather than RH with a positive predictive value of 100% and negative predictive value of 96%. CD10+ cells with high bcl-2 expression also were found in a subset of diffuse large B-cell lymphomas and were otherwise rare in other types of malignant lymphoma. In contrast with immunohistochemical studies, a reduced but apparently measurable level of bcl-2 was present in benign follicular center cells. Hematogones showed lower bcl-2 levels than did FL cells in the bone marrow, and neutrophils were bcl-2-. Measurement of bcl-2 expression levels by multiparameter flow cytometry offers a rapid, quantitative assessment that may assist in the diagnosis of FL in lymph nodes or bone marrow, even when other CD10+ cells or admixed normal B cells are present.     

Disappearance of CD21-positive follicular dendritic cells preceding the transformation of follicular lymphoma: immunohistological study of the transformation using CD21, p53, Ki-67, and P-glycoprotein

Some follicular lymphomas histologically transform into diffuse aggressive lymphomas, the prognosis of which is poor. There are, however, no reliable histological criteria for predicting which cases will later undergo such transformation. In low-grade B-cell lymphomas, follicular dendritic cells form dense mesh-like networks that contain accumulating neoplastic B-cells. These are rare in high-grade lymphomas. We immunohistochemically analyzed CD21-positive follicular dendritic cells in 32 follicular lymphomas, including 3 transformed lymphomas, in addition to immunohistological study using P-glycoprotein, p53, and Ki-67. We found that the mesh-like networks in follicles are more clearly defined in low-grade lymphomas than in high-grade lymphomas (p = 0.015). Neoplastic follicles in 2 transformed lymphomas lost the networks of follicular dendritic cells before transformation despite the existence of morphologically clear follicles. This differed from the non-transformed cases of the same cytological grades. Prognosis was statistically better for patients with low-grade tumor than for those with high-grade tumor (p = 0.026), and there was a trend toward poorer survival among CD21-negative cases (p = 0.186). P-glycoprotein, p53, and Ki-67 expressions did not provide sufficient information to predict the transformation of follicular lymphoma. The presence of CD21-positive follicular dendritic cells in neoplastic follicles might help predict the potential of follicular lymphoma to transform to diffuse large B-cell lymphoma.     

Study of vimentin expression in non-Hodgkin's lymphoma using paraffin sections.

Human non-Hodgkin's lymphomas were studied by means of an avidin-biotin complex immunoperoxidase method using several monoclonal antibodies against the intermediate filament protein, vimentin. The study cases were 61 B-cell lymphomas (including 2 plasmacytomas) and 30 T-cell lymphomas (including 8 cases of mycosis fungoides). Twelve of the 61 B-cell lymphomas were positive for vimentin, and were composed of extrafollicular-center cells such as immunoblastic and plasmacytoid cells. On the other hand, lymphomas of follicular center cell origin were negative for vimentin. All cases of T-cell lymphoma except for 14 (all of 9 AILD-type lymphomas, all of 4 lymphoblastic lymphomas and one diffuse mixed small/large lymphoma) were positive for vimentin. Although vimentin expression appeared to be influenced by various conditions such as the proportion of T- and B-cell subsets, or B-cell proliferation rate, follicular center cells were constantly negative for vimentin.     

Expression of vimentin and epithelial membrane antigen in human malignant lymphomas

Immunoreactivity with monoclonal antibodies against the intermediate filament protein, vimentin, and epithelial membrane antigen (EMA) was examined in 330 cases of lymphoma (317 non-Hodgkin's and 13 Hodgkin's lymphomas), 12 reactive lymph nodes and mononuclear cells of the peripheral blood using either indirect immunoperoxidase staining or the avidin-biotin immunoperoxidase complex technique. The cell origin of each tumor was established using a panel of monoclonal antibodies against lymphocyte differentiation antigens. There were 41 T-cell, 247 B-cell and 29 undetermined lymphomas, and 13 cases of Hodgkin's disease in the series. Vimentin was expressed in 24 T-cell lymphomas (58.5%) and 60 B-cell lymphomas (24.2%). This difference in frequency was statistically significant. Vimentin expression in follicular lymphomas was less frequent than in diffuse B-cell lymphomas. In diffuse lymphomas, small and medium cell types were more reactive with anti-vimentin than large cell types. Reed-Sternberg cells (R-S cells) in Hodgkin's disease were positive for vimentin in 11 cases (84.6%). The frequency of EMA reactivity in lymphomas was low, particularly in T-cell lymphomas. No positive cases were found among follicular lymphomas. In diffuse non-Hodgkin's lymphomas, EMA was expressed only in mixed and large cell types, but never in smaller ones. In conclusion, monoclonal antibodies against vimentin and EMA appear to be of limited usefulness for the diagnosis of non-Hodgkin's lymphomas, but anti-vimentin antibody may be used as an adjunct to the diagnosis of R-S cells in Hodgkin's disease.     

Molecular analysis of the t(14;18) chromosomal translocation in malignant lymphomas

One of the most common karyotypic abnormalities is the t(14;18) translocation, which is found in many lymphomas that have a characteristic follicular morphology. Recent molecular studies have shown that this chromosomal translocation results in the juxtaposition of the candidate proto-oncogene bcl-2 (B-cell leukemia-lymphoma) on chromosome 18 with the immunoglobulin heavy-chain locus on chromosome 14. However, because performing accurate cytogenetic studies in solid hematolymphoid neoplasms is difficult, knowledge of the prevalence of the t(14;18) translocation and, by association, the extent of bcl-2 involvement in human lymphomas is limited. We used a number of chromosome-18 DNA probes to analyze various subtypes of Hodgkin's and non-Hodgkin's lymphomas and test for structural abnormalities near or within the bcl-2 gene. Molecular features of the t(14;18) translocation were found in virtually all follicular neoplasms and about 28 percent of diffuse large-cell lymphomas. No changes in bcl-2 were found in several other subtypes of Hodgkin's and non-Hodgkin's lymphomas, including those previously suggested to originate from follicular-center cells and those about which cytogenetic data have been difficult to obtain. Our findings suggest a close pathogenetic relation between bcl-2 and a large group of non-Hodgkin's lymphomas, both with and without a follicular morphology. The methods employed in this study may be useful in improving the accuracy of diagnosis and subclassification of malignant lymphomas.