1. ¹Molecular Pathology, Cancer Sciences Division, School of Medicine, General Hospital, Southampton University Hospitals NHS Trust, Southampton, UK
2. ²Skin Tumour Unit, St John's Institute of Dermatology, St Thomas' Hospital, London, UK

Correspondence: Dr Elizabeth Hodges, Molecular Pathology, Cancer Sciences Division, General Hospital, Southampton University Hospitals NHS Trust, Southampton SO16 6YD, UK. E-mail: elizabeth.hodges@suht.swest.nhs.uk

Received 27 September 2005; Revised 25 November 2005; Accepted 1 February 2006; Published online 1 June 2006.

Abstract

Molecular characterization of T-cell receptor junctional region sequences in cutaneous T-cell lymphoma had not been previously reported. We have examined in detail the features of the T-cell receptor beta (TCRB) gene rearrangements in 20 individuals with well-defined stages of cutaneous T-cell lymphoma (CTCL) comprising 10 cases with early-stage mycosis fungoides (MF) and 10 cases with late-stage MF or Sezary syndrome. Using BIOMED-2 PCR primers, we detected a high frequency of clonally rearranged TCR gamma and TCRB genes (17/20 and 15/20 cases, respectively). We carried out sequencing analysis of each complete clonal variable (V)–diversity (D)–joining(J) fingerprint generated by PCR amplification, and determined the primary structure of the V–D–J junctional regions. We observed considerable diversity in the T-cell receptor V gene usage and complementarity-determining region 3 loops. Although we found that TCRB gene usage in CTCL and normal individuals share common features, our analysis also revealed preferential usage of J1 genes in all cases with advanced stages of disease.