Immunophenotypes and Gene Rearrangements of the T-Cell Receptor in Two Patients with a Large Granular Lymphocyte Disorder

Abstract

Large granular lymphocyte disorder (LGLD) is a lymphoproliferative disease, characterized by moderate lymphocytosis with an excess of large granular lymphocytes, neutropenia, anemia, and a variable, but mostly chronic clinical course.

We describe two patients with LGLD. One patient presented with symptomatic corticoster-oid-responsive hemolytic anemia, while the other had a chronic course not requiring therapy. The majority of lymphocytes from both patients were CD8 + T lymphocytes. However, the cells from the two patients differed in the molecular pattern of the T cell receptor (TCR), and this may explain the difference in their clinical course.

Key Words:

• T-cell receptor
• large granular lymphocyte disorder