Burg G, Kerl H, Kaudewitz P, Braun-Falco O, Mason DY. Immunoenzymatic typing of lymphoplasmacytoid skin infiltrates.
THE JOURNAL OF DERMATOLOGIC SURGERY AND ONCOLOGY 1984;
10:284-90. [PMID:
6423709 DOI:
10.1111/j.1524-4725.1984.tb00900.x]
[Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/20/2023]
Abstract
Monoclonal immunoglobulin-producing lymphomas (immunocytomas, plasmacytomas, and immunoblastomas) constitute 15 to 20% of all cutaneous lymphomas. Their differentiation from polymorphous lymphoplasmacytoid inflammatory or pseudolymphomatous infiltrates may be difficult if sections are stained for a single light chain only. It was the aim of the study to elucidate the ratio of the kappa- to lambda-positive cells in 10 lymphoproliferative, 5 pseudolymphomatous, and 42 inflammatory lymphoplasmacytoid cutaneous infiltrates and to characterize them by the type of Ig (alpha, gamma, mu, kappa, or lambda) synthesized intracellularly. An indirect immunoenzymatic double-labeling method (alkaline phosphatase and peroxidase) was used for the simultaneous demonstration of kappa and lambda light chains and alpha, gamma, and mu heavy chains in paraffin sections. Ig-producing lymphomas of the skin show patchy monoclonal proliferations of cells synthesizing kappa IgM in almost 50% of the cases (5 of 10). Monoclonality is claimed if the ratio of lambda- to kappa-positive cells is at least 1:10, or vice versa. In polyclonal inflammatory and pseudolymphomatous infiltrates, the lambda/kappa ratio never exceeds 1:5. The most common cell type found in these reactive infiltrates produces gamma heavy chain; some produce alpha chain, but only a few produce mu chain. In high-grade malignant lymphomas, the tumor cells may lose their capacity for Ig production.
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