[Clinicopathological analysis of 64 case of angioimmunoblastic T-cell lymphoma].

OBJECTIVE

To explore the clinical and pathological characteristics of angioimmunoblastic T-cell lymphoma (AITL).

METHODS

Sixty-four cases of AITL were retrospectively analyzed by histopathological and immunohistochemical methods.

RESULTS

There were 35 men and 29 women, the median age was 59 years (range, 25-84 ys). AITL typically presented with advanced stage, generalized lymphadenopathy, hepatosplenomegaly and systemic symptoms. Morphologically, the lymph nodes showed partial or total obliteration of the normal architecture by a polymorphic infiltration of lymphocytes, and by proliferation of follicular dendritic cells and that of high endothelial venules. Most cases contained a monoclonal T-cell population as well as clonal cytogenetic abnormalities. Immunophenotype analysis showed that neoplastic cells expressed the following markers: CXCL13 (positive rate 95.3%), PD-1 (positive rate 75.0%), CD10 (positive rate 25.0%), Bcl- 6 (positive rate 40.0%), CD2 (positive rate 96.0%), CD3 (positive rate 95.0%), CD4 (positive rate 84.0%), CD5 (positive rate 73.0%), EBER (positive rate 39.5%) and Ki-67 (average positive rate 55.0%), and frequently showed aberrant loss or reduced expression of CD7 and CD8.

CONCLUSION

The neoplastic cells of AITL showed features of CD4+ TFH, with peculiar clinical features. Peripheral T-cell lymphomas with a follicular growth pattern may show overlapping features with focal AITL.