Immunoelectron microscopic studies on peripheral T-cell lymphomas using monoclonal antibodies.

Ultrastructural comparison between helper/inducer and suppressor/cytotoxic type cells in peripheral T-cell lymphomas was made using the immunoperoxidase technique. The nuclei of T4 positive cells were more irregular in outline than those of T8 positive cells, and nuclear irregularity was further pronounced in the cells of the adult T-cell leukemia/lymphoma which were of helper/inducer type cells. The suppressor/cytotoxic type cells possessed in their cytoplasm scattered dense bodies encircled by distinct membranes, although they also contained clustered dense bodies. On the other hand, the helper-inducer type cells had only clustered dense bodies. No other significant differences were observed regarding other cytoplasmic organelles between T4 positive cells and T8 positive cells. The existence of the peripheral T-cell lymphomas with "double-markers" which possessed surface antigens for both helper/inducer and suppressor/cytotoxic subsets was also demonstrated.