Abstract
Cutaneous T-cell lymphomas (CTCL) represent a heterogeneous group of peripheral
T-cell lymphomas arising in the skin and show considerable variations in
clinicopathological features. This study was designed to examine viral genomes
and cellular proliferation markers in CTCLs arising in Korea. On the basis of
their morphologic characteristics and immunophenotypes, 43 cases of primary CTCL
were classified, and evaluated for association with either HTLV-I or EBV, p53
protein immunoreactivity and Ki-67 labeling index (LI). EBV was demonstrated in
15 cases (35%) either by EBER in-situ hybridization or PCR; particularly high
rates were exhibited by angiocentric T-cell lymphomas. PCR was used to detect
HTLV-I proviral DNA, but none was found. The p53 expression rate was higher in
large cell lesions, but the Ki-67 LI failed to show any significant differences
among the different types. We therefore concluded that in Korea, HTLV-I is less
frequently associated with CTCL than in other endemic countries. EBV was found
particularly in angiocentric lesions, regardless of cell size or degree of
pleomorphism. Because of its high positive rates in high grade lesions, the p53
expression showed positive correlation with histologic grade; however, the Ki-67
labeling index did not correlate with the histologic grade in CTCL.