A gamma delta+ T-cell leukemia bearing a novel t(8;14)(q24;q11) translocation demonstrates spontaneous in vitro natural killer-like activity.

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.