Peripheral T-cell lymphoma with Reed-Sternberg-like cells of B-cell phenotype and genotype associated with Epstein-Barr virus infection.

We report three cases of nodal peripheral T-cell lymphoma (PTCL) with Reed-Sternberg-like (RS-like) cells of B-cell pheno- and/or genotype. Histologic analysis in all cases revealed diffuse nodal effacement by atypical lymphoid cells of variable size. Two of the three cases had features of angioimmunoblastic T-cell lymphoma (AILT). Large mononuclear and binucleated cells with prominent eosinophilic nucleoli and abundant cytoplasm resembling classic RS cells and mononuclear variants were scattered throughout all biopsies. The lymphoma cells in the three cases were of T-cell lineage (CD3+, CD43+, and CD45RO+). The RS-like cells from all cases were CD30 and CD15 positive. In contrast to the neoplastic T cells, the RS-like cells lacked all T-cell markers and in two cases were positive for CD20. Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) latent membrane protein 1 (LMP1) and EBER 1 (2/2) were detected in the RS-like cells in all cases. The neoplastic T cells were negative for EBV. Polymerase chain reaction (PCR) analysis demonstrated clonal rearrangements of the T-cell receptor gamma chain gene in the three cases. PCR analysis of microdissected RS-like cells for immunoglobulin heavy chain gene rearrangements in cases 1 and 3 showed an oligoclonal pattern. The presence of RS-like cells in PTCL represents a diagnostic pitfall, because in one case this observation led to a misdiagnosis of Hodgkin's disease (HD). The oligoclonal expansion of EBV-infected cells may be related to underlying immunodeficiency associated with T-cell lymphomas and AILT in particular. This phenomenon may provide the basis for some cases of Hodgkin's disease after T-cell lymphomas and suggests that they are clonally unrelated neoplasms. The expression of LMP1 appears to be crucial for the immunophenotype and probably for the morphology of the RS and RS-like cells appearing in diverse lymphoid malignancies, including HD, chronic lymphocytic leukemia, and PTCL.

Acute tumor lysis syndrome complicating fludarabine treatment of prolymphocytic leukemia.

Tumor lysis syndrome rarely occurs during chemotherapy treatment of indolent lymphoid tumors. This report describes for the first time a case of acute tumor lysis syndrome complicating fludarabine treatment of prolymphocytic leukemia. In this particular case the patient had an unexpectedly rapid response to fludarabine 15 days after initiation of the first chemotherapy cycle, which was subsequently complicated by the development of tumor lysis syndrome. Until more data are known concerning fludarabine treatment of prolymphocytic leukemia, cautious monitoring of patients treated with fludarabine should be undertaken, even after completion of the chemotherapy course.

Automated differential leukocyte counts.

Automated differential counts have the advantage of precision, efficiency, safety, and economy. They could potentially serve effectively in 90 percent of patients with normal counts or in 75 percent of patients with anemia only (64 percent of the total in this study). Even patients with increased white blood cell counts and major population shifts (toward granulocytes or lymphocytes) could be followed with automated differential counts. Such a tactic would decrease turnaround time for results, be less expensive, and reduce exposure of technologists to direct contact with patients' blood. However, presently available instruments fail to detect patients' blood samples with small numbers of abnormal cells, e.g., blasts in early relapse of acute leukemia, atypical lymphocytes in viral diseases such as infectious mononucleosis, eosinophils in allergic or parasitic disease, and band forms in early infectious diseases. Clinical judgment should be used in selectively ordering manual differential counts for these patients. While automated differential counts can be very useful in screening general medical and surgical patients in the ambulatory setting, in referral centers where hematologic abnormalities are more prevalent, the manual differential count and further examination of a smear is particularly necessary at least on initial presentation. Selective manual differential counts may improve efficiency, economy, and safety while not compromising patient care. Further studies of the correlation of clinical disease with automated differential counts are necessary.