M. Hatori et al., FLOW CYTOMETRIC AND GENOTYPIC ANALYSIS OF PRIMARY NON-HODGKINS-LYMPHOMA OF BONE, Pathology research and practice, 193(8), 1997, pp. 557-564
Primary malignant lymphoma of bone presents both diagnostic and therap
eutic problems. No previous study has addressed the use of flow cytome
try in the immunophenotypic evaluations of bone lymphomas. A 41-year-o
ld Japanese female presented with a large lytic lesion in the right fe
mur. Biopsies from the lesion were examined by light microscopy, immun
ohistochemistry, 3-color flow cytometry and Southern blotting. Microsc
opic examination showed a diffuse,, noncleaved large cell lymphoma. Th
e lymphoid cells were positive for mature B cell antigens and the phen
otype was: CD5(-), CD10(-), CD19(+), 20(+), CD22(+), IgG(+), IgA(-), I
gM(-), kappa(-), lambda(+), CD1(-), CD2(-), CD3(-), CD4(-), CD7(-), CD
8(-). Southern blot analysis revealed rearranged bands on both heavy-a
nd lambda light-chain genes, in contrast to germline configuration on
T cell antigen receptor (beta, gamma and delta) genes. Flow cytometry,
in conjunction with morphologic and other molecular techniques, can p
rovide a rapid and accurate means of diagnosing primary lymphoma of bo
ne. In addition, the capabilities of flow cytometry to assess cell pro
perties/constituents can be utilized in detailed analysis of adhesion
molecules and activation antigen which may lead to better prediction o
f the prognosis of this group of lymphomas, and may provide further im
portant data for the therapeutic decision making process.