Prolymphocytic leukemia of helper cell phenotype: report of a case and review of the scientific literature.

A case of prolymphocytic leukemia was studied by using light and electron microscopy, cytochemistry and multiple immunological markers for T and B lymphocytes. Cytochemical and immunological studies showed that the cells were T-lymphocytes. By using monoclonal antibodies to human T-cell subsets, we found that these cells had the T-helper cell phenotype. The usefulness of multiparameter studies in subclassifying T-cell malignancies is discussed and the literature on T-prolymphocytic leukemia reviewed.