Expression of three cell proliferation-associated antigens, DNA polymerase alpha, Ki-67 antigen and transferrin receptor in nodal and cutaneous T-cell lymphomas.

We studied the expression of three cell proliferation-associated antigens: DNA polymerase alpha, Ki-67 antigen, and transferrin receptor, in 35 T-cell lymphomas of nodal origin (T-NL) and 40 cutaneous T-cell lymphomas (CTCL). Immunohistochemical staining was carried out on frozen tissue sections of these specimens using three monoclonal antibodies, DAKO-PC, CL22-2-42B (DNA polymerase alpha), and OKT9. The proportion of cells positive for CL22-2-42B, DAKO-PC, or OKT9 among all tumor cells was correlated with four histologic subtypes: malignant lymphoma (ML), diffuse, small; mixed; large; and large cell immunoblastic in both T-NL and CTCL. A strong correlation was noted between positivity for CL22-2-42B and that for DAKO-PC or OKT9. On the other hand, no difference in the expression of these three antigens was noted between T-NL and CTCL in the high, intermediate or low grade-malignancy group. In CTCL as well as in T-NL, cells positive for CL22-2-42B, DAKO-PC or OKT9 were significantly more numerous in the high-grade group than the intermediate-grade group, and in the intermediate-grade group than the low-grade group. Furthermore, a significant correlation between survival period and the number of CL22-2-42B-positive cells was noted when the T cell malignancies, CTCL and T-NL were considered (t value = 2.015, p less than 0.05). Thus, the expression of DNA-polymerase alpha, Ki-67 antigen or OKT9 seems to well reflect the biological behavior and/or clinical prognosis of T-cell lymphoma.