Commentary

Journal of Investigative Dermatology (2008) 128, 771–773. doi:10.1038/jid.2008.49

T-Cell Clonality Assays: How Do They Compare?

Antonio Cozzio1 and Lars E French1

1Department of Dermatology, Zurich University Hospital, Zurich, Swizerland

Correspondence: Lars French, Department of Dermatology, Zurich University Hospital, Gloriastrasse 31, Geneva CH-8091, Switzerland. E-mail: lars.french@usz.ch

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Abstract

The distinction between certain benign cutaneous lymphocytic infiltrates and cutaneous T-cell lymphoma (CTCL) can be a challenging problem in clinical practice. An imperfect but useful tool in this circumstance is the analysis of T-cell clonality or monoclonality by assessing T-cell receptor (TCR) gene rearrangements. "Monoclonality" describes the origin of a specific human malignant tumor from one single cell from which the entire tumor is derived. The term is used to describe the early steps in tumorigenesis; in later stages of tumor growth and progression, monoclonal tumor cells may acquire a mutator phenotype, rendering the genome unstable. The resulting genetic heterogeneity may ultimately lead to subclones in the formerly monoclonal population of tumor cells.

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