HTLV-I-induced lymphoma mimicking Hodgkin's disease. Diagnosis by
polymerase chain reaction amplification of specific HTLV-I sequences in
tumor DNA
DB Duggan, GD Ehrlich, FP Davey, S Kwok, J Sninsky, J Goldberg, L Baltrucki and BJ Poiesz
Division of Hematology/Oncology, SUNY Health Science Center, Syracuse
13210.
A patient with a localized HTLV-I-associated lymphoproliferative disease
that was misdiagnosed as Hodgkin's disease is presented. The patient's
serum was negative for HTLV-I antibodies by enzyme-linked immunosorbent
assay (ELISA), Western blot, and radioimmunoprecipitation. Tumor tissue DNA
was negative for HTLV-I by Southern blotting but was positive for distinct
HTLV-I sequences when subjected to DNA amplification using the polymerase
chain reaction. We conclude that the clinical and pathologic diagnosis of
HTLV-I-related lymphoma can be difficult and can be confused with Hodgkin's
disease. Extremely sensitive molecular biological techniques may be
required to establish a diagnosis of HTLV-I-induced lymphoma.
Volume 71,
Issue 4,
pp. 1027-1032,
04/01/1988
Copyright © 1988 by The American Society of Hematology
