Monoclonal antibodies reactive in routinely processed tissue sections of malignant lymphoma, with emphasis on T-cell lymphomas

The immunoreactivity of eight monoclonal antibodies was evaluated on 45 routinely processed lymphomas (22 T-cell lymphomas, 11 B-cell lymphomas, and 12 cases of Hodgkin\u27s disease). Two antibodies reactive with leukocyte common (T200) antigens (PD7/26 and 2B11) stained most of the B- and T-cell lymphomas but did not stain the Reed-Sternberg cells and variants in Hodgkin\u27s disease. Two antibodies known to stain B cells (LN-1 and LN-2) reacted with some of the B-cell lymphomas, but LN-2 also reacted with the neoplastic cells in six of 22 T-cell lymphomas and with the Reed-Sternberg variants in eight of 12 cases of Hodgkin\u27s disease. The granulocyte antibody anti-Leu M1 reacted with most cases of Hodgkin\u27s disease but also reacted with two of 11 B-cell non-Hodgkin\u27s lymphomas. An antibody to epithelial membrane antigen (anti-EMA) stained some cases of T-cell lymphoma, B-cell lymphoma, and Hodgkin\u27s disease. Leu 7 was expressed in one T-cell lymphoma and in one case of Hodgkin\u27s disease. A novel antibody reactive with T cells (L60) stained all cases of T-cell lymphoma but also stained some cases of B-cell lymphoma and one case of Hodgkin\u27s disease. We conclude that none of these antibodies, when used alone on routinely fixed paraffin-embedded material, is completely sensitive and specific for T-cell lymphoma, B-cell lymphoma, or Hodgkin\u27s disease. However, a panel of antibodies is useful in distinguishing Hodgkin\u27s disease from non-Hodgkin\u27s lymphoma and in suggesting the B- or T-cell phenotype of non-Hodgkin\u27s lymphomas. © 1987 W. B. Saunders Co. All rights reserved