T-cell chronic lymphocytic leukaemias and T-cell lymphoma-leukaemia: heterogeneity and anomalous cell markers.

We studied cell surface markers in 8 men with T-cell chronic lymphocytic leukaemia, using fluorescein-conjugated monoclonal antibodies and a cell analyser/sorter. 1 patient's cells had a T-suppressor/cytolytic phenotype (T4-, T8+) and in 3 patients the phenotype was a T-helper cell (T4+, T8-) as described in retrovirus-associated adult T-cell lymphoma-leukaemia. In 4 patients, the cell phenotype was anomalous, with both helper and suppressor antigenic markers (T4+, T8+). Terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase was positive in 1 of the 4 cases with dual markers. Clinical features and cytological characteristics, including cell size and the density of T8 antigen on the cell surface, showed no obvious correlation with the immunophenotypes, but study of additional cases is needed to evaluate this further.