SEZARYS SYNDROME - CYTOGENETIC, CYTOPHOTOMETRIC AND AUTORADIOGRAPHIC STUDY

Cytophotometric, cytogenetic and autoradiographic studies were performed in cells of 3 patients with clinically diagnosed Sezary''s syndrome with erythroderma and the presence of abnormal lymphoid cells in the peripheral blood, skin, bone marrow and lymph nodes. Feulgen DNA cytophotometry of cells in the peripheral blood and skin lesions showed marked aneuploidy and tetraploidy. Multiple translocations were identified with a G-banding technique. The chromosomal abnormalities varied widely between patients, but C and D group chromosomes were more frequently involved than others. All breakpoints of the translocations were localized in the centromeric region. Autoradiography of blood and skin samples revealed many labeled cells in the skin and a lower number in the blood, indicating cell proliferation in the skin. The pathological cells occurring in the Sezary syndrome are abnormal lymphoid cells with a tendency to proliferate in the dermis. The variability observed between and in the patients is probably due to a difference in the degree of dedifferentiation.