RECURRING STRUCTURAL CHROMOSOME-ABNORMALITIES IN PERIPHERAL-BLOOD LYMPHOCYTES OF PATIENTS WITH MYCOSIS FUNGOIDES SEZARY-SYNDROME/

Cytogenetic analysis was performed on peripheral blood lymphocyte cult ures from 19 patients with mycosis fungoides (MF)/Sezary syndrome (SS) stimulated with either phytohemagglutinin, a conventional mitogen, or a combination of interleukin-2 (IL-2) plus IL-7. The use of both PHA- stimulated and IL-2 plus IL-7-stimulated cultures enhanced the ability to identify clonal abnormalities. Clonal abnormalities were observed in 11 patients (53%) including one with monosomy for the sex chromosom e as the sole abnormality. Five of the 11 patients with clonal abnorma lities had normal peripheral white blood cell counts, indicating detec tability of clones in the absence of frankly leukemic disease, The pre sence of clonal abnormalities correlated with advanced stage disease a nd a significantly reduced survival duration from the time of cytogene tic studies. Clonal abnormalities involving chromosomes 1 and 8 were o bserved in six cases.