Peripheral T‐cell lymphomas expressing CD30 and CD15 expand the spectrum of anaplastic large cell lymphoma, ALK‐negative

Abstract

SummaryPeripheral T‐cell lymphomas (PTCL) are morphologically and biologically heterogeneous and a subset expresses CD30, including anaplastic large cell lymphomas (ALCL) and a minority of PTCL, not otherwise specified (PTCL, NOS). ALCL with ALK translocations (ALCL, ALK+) are readily identified by routine diagnostic methods, but differentiating ALCL without ALK translocation (ALCL, ALK−) and PTCL, NOS expressing CD30 (PTCL CD30+) can be challenging. Furthermore, rare PTCL co‐express CD30 and CD15 (PTCL CD30+CD15+); some resemble ALCL, ALK− while others resemble classic Hodgkin lymphoma. To explore the relationship between PTCL CD30+CD15+ and ALCL, ALK−, we analysed 19 cases of PTCL with CD30 expression, previously diagnosed as ALCL, ALK− (nine cases) and PTCL CD30+CD15+ (10 cases) for DUSP22/IRF4 rearrangements, coding RNA expression and selected transcriptome analysis using the NanoString nCounter gene expression analysis platform. Unsupervised clustering showed no clear segregation between ALCL, ALK− and PTCL CD30+CD15+. Three cases previously classified as PTCL CD30+CD15+ showed DUSP22/IRF4 rearrangements, favouring a diagnosis of ALCL, ALK−. Our results suggest that cases previously designated PTCL CD30+CD15+, likely fall within the spectrum of ALCL, ALK−; additionally, a subset of ALCL, ALK− with DUSP22/IRF4 rearrangement expresses CD15, consistent with previous reports and expands the immunophenotypic spectrum of this lymphoma subgroup.