The goal is to analyze human lymphoma and lymphocytic leukemias with hybridoma antibodies defining T-cell subsets in order to develop a comprehensive classification of human lymphomas based on the functional characteristics of the malignant cell and to provide an improved basis for treatment selection and prognostication. During the past year suspensions prepared from 12 specimens of nonneoplastic thymus (six normal and six from patients with myasthenia gravis) and from 17 thymomas were investigated with a panel of monoclonal antibodies. The great preponderance of thymocytes from the 12 nonneoplastic specimens and from 12 of 13 thymomas (two of three predominantly lymphocytic tumors and 11 of 12 mixed tumors) displayed the surface phenotype of cortical or common thymocytes. These cells formed rosettes with unsensitized sheep erythrocytes (E-rosettes) at both 4 and 37~C, and reacted with the following monoclonal antibodies: OKT1 (thymic and peripheral T cells), OKT6 (common thymocytes), OKT10 (replicating lymphoid cells), OKT11 (sheep cell receptor), and both OKT4 (inducer-helper T cells) and OKT8 (cytotoxic-suppressor T cells). Few B cells (lymphocytes with either immunoglobulin or Ia-like antigen on the cell surface) and few cells with receptors for transferrin and interleukin-2 were detected. Thymocytes from three of the four remaining thymomas (two predominantly epithelial tumors and one mixed tumor) displayed surface marker characteristics of medullary thymocytes or peripheral T cells; i.e., they were reactive with OKT1, OKT3 (peripheral T cells), OKT11, either OKT4 or OKT8, and were also E-rosette positive only at 4~C and TdT negative. Thymocytes from the final tumor, a lymphocytic thymoma, exhibited an intermediate phenotype. Thus, almost all mixed (11 or 12) and lymphocytic (two of three) thymomas were composed predominantly of cortical thymocytes, while the medullary cell was the rule in the two tumors that were predominantly epithelial. (2)

Agency
National Institute of Health (NIH)
Institute
National Cancer Institute (NCI)
Type
Research Project (R01)
Project #
3R01CA030020-05S1
Application #
3168987
Study Section
Experimental Immunology Study Section (EI)
Project Start
1981-08-01
Project End
1987-12-31
Budget Start
1985-08-01
Budget End
1987-12-31
Support Year
5
Fiscal Year
1986
Total Cost
Indirect Cost
Name
Massachusetts General Hospital
Department
Type
DUNS #
City
Boston
State
MA
Country
United States
Zip Code
02199
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Aisenberg, A C; Wilkes, B M; Jacobson, J O et al. (1987) Immunoglobulin gene rearrangements in adult non-Hodgkin's lymphoma. Am J Med 82:738-44
Aisenberg, A C; Wilkes, B M; Jacobson, J O (1987) Rearrangement of the genes for the beta and gamma chains of the T cell receptor is rarely observed in adult B cell lymphoma and chronic lymphocytic leukemia. J Clin Invest 80:1209-14
Aisenberg, A C; Krontiris, T G; Mak, T W et al. (1985) Rearrangement of the gene for the beta chain of the T-cell receptor in T-cell chronic lymphocytic leukemia and related disorders. N Engl J Med 313:529-33
Aisenberg, A C; Wilkes, B; Harris, N L et al. (1985) The predominant lymphocyte in most thymomas and in nonneoplastic thymus from patients with myasthenia gravis is the cortical thymocyte. Clin Immunol Immunopathol 35:130-6
Aisenberg, A C; Wilkes, B M (1985) The genotype and phenotype of T cell and non-T, non-B acute lymphoblastic leukemia. Blood 66:1215-8