A gamma delta+ T-cell leukemia bearing a novel t(8;14)(q24;q11)
translocation demonstrates spontaneous in vitro natural killer-like
activity
RT Maziarz, RJ Arceci, SC Bernstein, L Frazier, BR Smith, M Kasai, R Tantravahi and JL Strominger
Division of Hematology, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Boston, MA.
A highly malignant human T-cell leukemia was identified by cell surface
analysis as a member of the T-cell receptor (TCR) gamma delta lineage.
Cytogenetic and molecular analysis showed a novel t(8;14)(q24;q11)
rearrangement involving the J delta 1 gene segment on chromosome 14 and the
distal end of chromosome 8 near the c-myc proto-oncogene locus. The gamma
delta TCR of the leukemia blasts was functionally intact and could be
activated to generate intracellular calcium flux and to target Fc
receptor-mediated redirected tumor cell lysis. In addition, non- major
histocompatibility complex restricted lysis of a limited target cell panel
was shown by fresh leukemic blasts and by the in vitro- maintained leukemia
cells that was comparable to known T-cell lines with natural killer-like
activity. These data suggest that the T-cell leukemia potentially had in
vivo functional cytolytic activity. However, whether this activity did
contribute to the patient's clinical condition could not be determined.
Volume 79,
Issue 6,
pp. 1523-1531,
03/15/1992
Copyright © 1992 by The American Society of Hematology
