Cellular kinetic differences between Hodgkin's and anaplastic large cell lymphomas: relation to the expression of p34cdc2 and cyclin B-1

Our study was designed to compare cellular kinetic parameters of classical Hodgkin's disease (HD) with those of anaplastic large cell lymphomas (ALCL-C, common type; and ALCL-HL, Hodgkin's like), with a particular focus on the G 2 /M transition. These disorders share some phenotypic properties, e.g., CD30 positivity of putative neoplastic cells. The percentages of cells expressing P34 cdc2 (p34) and cyclin B-I (cyclin-B), which form a complex (maturation/mitosis promoting factor, MPF) regulating the G 2 -M phases of the cell cycle, were also registered. Highly significant differences between HD and ALCL-C were recognized: a) in HD, evidence for abortive mitosis (i.e., difficulty to proceed beyond the metaphase stage) and consequent multinucleation and/or deletion of CD30 + cells was prominent, in contrast to ALCL-C. This was associated with a markedly lower fraction of large atypical cells (LAC) expressing cyclin-B in the cytoplasm and the nucleus (C + N) in HD than in ALCL-C; b) the extent of multinucleation of CD30 + cells in HD, but not in ALCL-C, was correlated with the %p34 + LAC; c) the proportions of LAC expressing p34 and/or cyclin-B (C) were positively related to the percentages of cyclin-B (C + N) + LAC in ALCL-C but not in HD; d) in HD, in contrast to ALCL-C, the size of the fraction of cyclin-B (C + N) + LAC did not correlate with the analtelophase indices (ATI, reflecting successful completion of mitosis) and the magnitude of cell loss; e) in ALCL-C, the percentages of p34 + LAC were positively correlated with ATI or the degree of CD30 + cell deletion, but inversely in HD. With regard to all parameters mentioned above, ALCL-HL tended to take an intermediate position between HD and ALCL-C, but sided more with the latter. In conclusion, our present results suggest a derangement of MPF kinetics and functions that is more profound in HD than in ALCL-C.