Sezary cell morphology induced in peripheral blood lymphocytes: re-
evaluation
AC Chu and JF Morris
Unit of Dermatology, Royal Postgraduate Medical School, Hammersmith
Hospital, London.
In this study we examined the effect of mitogens and epidermal cells in
inducing a Sezary cell morphology in normal peripheral blood lymphocytes.
Peripheral blood mononuclear cells from six healthy volunteers were
stimulated with the mitogens phytohemaglutinin and concanavalin A, and also
cocultivated with human epidermal cell cultures. Incubation times with
mitogens and epidermal cells were four days and stimulation of the
lymphocytes by mitogens was confirmed by standard 3H-thymidine uptake.
Standard transmission electron microscopy showed that in the mitogen-driven
system 20% to 60% (33 +/- 15%) and in the epidermal cell-driven system 5%
to 15% (8 +/- 4%) of the lymphoid cells exhibited mild to moderate
indentation of the nuclei with nuclear contour indices (NCI) of 4.6 to 6.5
but no Sezary cells were observed (cells with NCI greater than 6.5 and up
to 19.2). In the mitogen- stimulated preparation 2% to 5% (3 +/- 1%) of the
lymphoid cells showed nuclear multilobulation resembling the cells seen in
adult T cell lymphoma/leukemia. Incubation of mononuclear cells for longer
periods of up to 4 weeks with mitogens and exogenous IL-2 resulted in no
further morphologic changes. Using an indirect immunogold technique at the
electron microscopic level, the cells showing nuclear indentation or
lobulation were shown to bear both T helper (CD4) and T suppressor (CD8)
cell phenotypes in a similar ratio to the total numbers of T helper and T
suppressor cells present. Mitogens and epidermal cells are thus not able to
induce a morphologic change to Sezary cells in normal peripheral blood
lymphocytes.
Volume 73,
Issue 6,
pp. 1603-1607,
05/01/1989
Copyright © 1989 by The American Society of Hematology
