Clonal rearrangement of the T-cell receptor beta-chain gene in the pleural fluid of a patient with thymoma.
Nouv Rev Fr Hematol (1978)
; 35(2): 121-4, 1993 Apr.
Article
in En
| MEDLINE
| ID: mdl-8392700
ABSTRACT
Thymoma is generally considered as an epithelial malignancy surrounded by lymphocytes not belonging to the tumour. This report documents a case of malignant thymoma associated with a lymphocytic pleural effusion. The pleural lymphocytes were mature T-cells, a small proportion of which were shown to have a monoclonal rearrangement of the beta-chain of the T-cell receptor. On the contrary, the lymphocytes of peripheral blood exhibited a germline configuration. The nature of the monoclonal population found in the pleural fluid is discussed and if the cells are of thymic origin their clonal configuration may point to a neoplastic nature of lymphocytes infiltrating malignant thymoma. Alternatively, the clonal T-cell subpopulation may result from an aberrant immunological response to the thymoma.
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Collection:
01-internacional
Database:
MEDLINE
Main subject:
Thymoma
/
Thymus Neoplasms
/
Pleural Effusion, Malignant
/
Gene Rearrangement, beta-Chain T-Cell Antigen Receptor
Limits:
Female
/
Humans
/
Middle aged
Language:
En
Journal:
Nouv Rev Fr Hematol (1978)
Year:
1993
Document type:
Article
Affiliation country:
Belgium