Reed-Stornberg cell and its mononuclear variants in Hodgkin's disease: an immunohistological study

ABSTRACT

An immunoperoxidase study of 20 cases of Hodgkin's disease [HD] showed positive staining of the Reed-Sternberg cells and their mononuclear variants for IgG and both kappa and lambda light chains. Staining for J chain was negative suggesting that the immunoglobulin had not been synthesized by the neoplastic cells but had been taken up from the extra cellular environment. A positive staining for alpha-1 antitrypsin, a histiocytic marker, was also detected in the Reed- Sternberg cells and their mononuclear variants in 16 out of the 20 cases studied. These findings lend support to the concept of histiocytic origin of these cells. It is also suggested that the characteristic immunohistochemical staining properties of these cells may be helpful in distinguishing Hodgkin's disease from other neoplasms that exhibit Reed-Sternberg-like cells