Intratumoral T lymphocytes from small cleaved follicular center cell lymphomas show unrestricted T-cell receptor alpha-chain variable region gene usage.

The relationship between the reactive T cells and neoplastic B cells of follicular center cell lymphomas is unclear. It is not known whether the T cells are recruited nonspecifically by the neoplastic B cells or are responding through the T-cell antigen receptor (TCR), to tumor-related antigen(s). This question was addressed by polymerase chain reaction analysis of TCR alpha chain variable (V) region gene expression in intratumoral T lymphocytes from three cases of small cleaved follicular center cell lymphoma. In all three cases studied, the tumor-associated T cells showed unrestricted expression of all 18 alpha-chain V region genes. These findings imply that the T cells admixed with the neoplastic B cells of small cleaved follicular center cell lymphomas are not recruited based on TCR recognition of a single or limited number of tumor-related antigens.