Genotypic analysis of large cell lymphomas which express the Ki-1 antigen

The monoclonal antibody Ki‐1 reacts with Reed‐Sternberg cells in Hodgkin's disease and with the tumour cells in a minority of large cell non‐Hodgkin's lymphomas. This study describes the results of immunophenotypic and DNA analysis in 30 cases of non‐Hodgkin's lymphoma, all of which expressed the Ki‐1 antigen. The genotypic analysis has been undertaken using both immunoglobulin and T‐cell receptor gene probes. Sixteen cases were shown by this method to be of monoclonal T‐cell origin, six of B‐cell origin, while in eight cases there was no evidence of either T‐ or B‐cell lineage. This confirms previous immunohistological data indicating that non‐Hodgkin's lymphomas which express the Ki‐1 antigen may be of either T‐cell or B‐cell origin.