Immunofluorescence studies on pathologic routine material: application to malignant lymphomas.

In an attempt to apply immunmorphologic techniques to pathologic routine material, malignant lymphomas of the Non-Hodgkin- and the Hodgkin-type were studied by indirect immunofluorescence. To minimize nonspecific background staining formalin fixed paraffin sections were treated with protease prior to incubation with the antisera. The usefullness of this procedure in providing additional diagnostic criteria was tested on specimens of malignant lymphomas (chronic lymphocytic leukemias, immunocytic lymphomas, plasmocytic lymphomas, centrocytic lymphomas, centroblastic-centrocyctic lymphomas, centroblastic lymphomas, immunoblastic lymphomas, lymphoblastic lymphomas of Burkitt, convoluted and unclassified type, Hodgkin's disease). In addition, cases of nonspecific lymphadenitis were studied. The discrimination of single cells particularly of the B-cell line was facilitated using immunofluorescence and different patterns were easily recognized thus aiding the diagnosis based on light microscopic criteria. In addition, preliminary evidence was obtained that lymphoblastic lymphomas categorized as "others" may be further characterized.