Analysis of molecular events in leukemic cells arrested at an early stage
of T-cell differentiation
K Yumura-Yagi, J Hara, N Terada, S Ishihara, A Tawa, Y Takihara, E Champagne, MD Minden, TW Mak and K Kawa-Ha
Department of Pediatrics, Osaka University Hospital, Osaka, Japan.
We analyzed the rearrangement and expression of T-cell receptor (TCR)
genes, including the recently identified TCR delta gene, in 21 patients
with T-lineage leukemia/lymphoma. Among 8 patients with CD3-, CD4-, and
CD8- (group I), 2 patients showed germline configuration of the TCR delta,
gamma, beta, and alpha genes and 1 patient demonstrated only TCR delta gene
rearrangement. All nine patients with CD3-, CD4+, and/or CD8+ (group II)
showed concomitant rearrangements of the TCR delta, gamma, and beta genes.
TCR alpha gene rearrangement was also observed in two patients. Three of
four patients with CD3+ (group III) showed rearrangement of the TCR alpha
gene with deletion of both alleles or of a single allele of the TCR delta
gene. With Northern blot analysis, full-length transcripts of the TCR delta
gene were detected in 3 of 15 examined patients. All were restricted to
group I or group II. In contrast, full-length transcripts of TCR beta and
alpha were observed mainly in samples from groups II and III. Based on
these findings, rearrangement of the TCR delta gene may be the earliest
event in T-cell differentiation, preceding rearrangements of the other TCR
genes.
Volume 74,
Issue 6,
pp. 2103-2111,
11/01/1989
Copyright © 1989 by The American Society of Hematology
