PubMed2003
BACKGROUND: Patients with cutaneous T-cell lymphoma (CTCL) show chromosomal aberrations in skin and blood lymphocytes. OBJECTIVES: To evaluate the significance of peripheral blood clonal or non-clonal chromosomal abnormalities in comparison with the clinical course of cutaneous T-cell lymphoma patients. PATIENTS/METHODS: Five patients with large-plaque parapsoriasis (LPP) or with follicular mucinosis, eight with mycosis fungoides and two with Sézary syndrome were followed for an average of 54 months. G-banding and enzyme-detected in situ hybridization (EDISH) were used to identify aberrations in chromosomes 1, 6, 8, 9, 11, 13/21, 15 or 17, that had previously showed frequent aberrations. RESULTS: The aberration rates of all chromosomes studied differed between patients with active disease and healthy or photochemotherapy-treated controls by EDISH or G-banding (P < 0.01 to P < 0.05). Patients in complete remission differed from healthy controls for aberrations of chromosomes 1, 6 and 11, and from patients with active, progressing disease for chromosomes 1, 6, 8, 11 and 17 (P < 0.01 to P < 0.05, EDISH or G-banding). All 11 samples representing active, progressing disease showed elevated levels of chromosome 8 aberrations in EDISH. The change in chromosomal aberration rate and clinical condition between two consecutive samples agreed for chromosomes 1, 8, 9 and 15 (G-banding) and for chromosome 17 (G-banding and EDISH; kappa > 0.5-0.6). Six of seven patients (five CTCL, one LPP patient) with clonal chromosomal aberrations by G-banding showed continuously active disease and four of them, but none of the other patients, died within 30 months of the detection of the clone. CONCLUSIONS: The rate of chromosomal aberrations associates with the activity of CTCL, and has prognostic significance. Aberrations of chromosomes 1, 6 and 11, although increasing with activity of the disease, seem to be a hallmark of existing disease, detectable even in remission. Aberrations of chromosomes 8 and 17 especially associate with active or progressive disease.