The usefulness of flow cytometric CD10 detection in the differential diagnosis of peripheral T-cell lymphomas

• Published in: American journal of clinical pathology 2007-11, Vol.128 (5), p.854-864
• Main Authors: STACCHINI, Alessandra, DEMURTAS, Anna, ALIBERTI, Sabrina, FRANCIA DI CELLE, Paola, GODIO, Laura, PALESTRO, Giorgio, NOVERO, Domenico
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Aged; Aged, 80 and over; Biological and medical sciences; Biomarkers, Tumor - blood; Diagnosis, Differential; Female; Flow Cytometry - methods; Hematologic and hematopoietic diseases; Humans; Immunoblastic Lymphadenopathy - diagnosis; Immunophenotyping; Investigative techniques, diagnostic techniques (general aspects); Leukemias. Malignant lymphomas. Malignant reticulosis. Myelofibrosis; Lymph Nodes - pathology; Lymphoma, T-Cell, Peripheral - chemistry; Lymphoma, T-Cell, Peripheral - diagnosis; Male; Medical sciences; Middle Aged; Neprilysin - analysis; Pathology. Cytology. Biochemistry. Spectrometry. Miscellaneous investigative techniques; Pseudolymphoma - diagnosis; Retrospective Studies
• ISSN: 0002-9173; 1943-7722
• DOI: 10.1309/MC7QRGPTV0LRR98X

We studied the histologic and multiparameter flow cytometry (MFC) features of 12 cases of angioimmunoblastic T-cell lymphoma (AITL), 13 of mature T-cell lymphoma, and 25 control cases of reactive lymphoid hyperplasia to evaluate the role of CD10 in the differential diagnosis of peripheral T-cell lymphomas (PTCLs). A characteristic immunophenotypic profile (CD2+/CD4+) with recurrent phenotypic aberrancies (eg, CD3 and CD7 loss) was identified in most AITL cases; MFC documented CD10 coexpression on T cells in 10 (83%). Mature T-cell lymphoma showed a more heterogeneous altered immunophenotypic pattern, and 2 cases of PTCL, unspecified, had clear evidence of aberrant CD10 expression on T cells. A small physiologic CD3+/CD4+/CD10+ T-cell population was detected by MFC in all control cases tested (range, 0.28%-4.71%), suggesting that a normal subset of peripheral CD10+ T cells exists. CD10 was a highly sensitive but incompletely specific phenotypic marker for diagnosing AITL; the differential diagnosis of PTCL, unspecified, must be related with traditional histologic features. A small number of CD10+ T cells in reactive lymph nodes suggests that this subpopulation may be the normal counterpart of neoplastic T cells in AITL. The biologic role of CD10+ T cells should be studied further.