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High-throughput sequencing (HTS) may enable earlier diagnosis of cutaneous T-cell lymphoma (CTCL), according to a study published in Science Translational Medicine.
Researchers said HTS, which provided new insights into the biology of CTCL, accurately diagnosed 100% of patients with the disease, including those with early stage and recurrent CTCL.
HTS exhibited greater sensitivity and specificity than polymerase chain reaction.
The researchers noted that, in CTCL, cancerous T cells accumulate in the skin, causing skin tumors but also rashes that are often mistaken for benign inflammatory skin conditions. And this delays diagnosis.
“Using current methods, it takes, on average, 6 years for patients to receive a definitive CTCL diagnosis,” said Rachael Clark, MD, PhD, of Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Boston, Massachusetts.
“As a result, appropriate therapy is delayed, often until the disease worsens to the point where diagnosis is clear, but effective treatment is more difficult.”
In search of a new diagnostic approach, Dr Clark and her colleagues used HTS to analyze T-cell receptor genes from blood and skin tissue samples. The team compared samples from 46 CTCL patients to samples from healthy individuals and patients with psoriasis, eczema, and other non-cancerous, inflammatory skin diseases.
By identifying and quantifying malignant T cells, HTS accurately distinguished CTCL from other skin diseases in all 46 patients. In contrast, polymerase chain reaction correctly identified 70% of the CTCL samples, often missing earlier-stage tumors.
For a subset of patients, the researchers used HTS to track malignant T cells over time, allowing them to detect early recurrence and monitor patient response to treatment.
HTS also revealed new insights into the cell of origin for CTCL, which has remained unresolved. The researchers found that CTCL arises from mature T cells, a discovery that may aid the development of more effective therapy.
The team said that, altogether, their findings suggest HTS is a promising tool for guiding earlier diagnosis and, thus, treatment of CTCL patients.
HTS was performed using ImmunoSEQ, an assay developed by Adaptive Biotechnologies. The company did not sponsor the study, but company employees were involved in the research. 
High-throughput sequencing (HTS) may enable earlier diagnosis of cutaneous T-cell lymphoma (CTCL), according to a study published in Science Translational Medicine.
Researchers said HTS, which provided new insights into the biology of CTCL, accurately diagnosed 100% of patients with the disease, including those with early stage and recurrent CTCL.
HTS exhibited greater sensitivity and specificity than polymerase chain reaction.
The researchers noted that, in CTCL, cancerous T cells accumulate in the skin, causing skin tumors but also rashes that are often mistaken for benign inflammatory skin conditions. And this delays diagnosis.
“Using current methods, it takes, on average, 6 years for patients to receive a definitive CTCL diagnosis,” said Rachael Clark, MD, PhD, of Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Boston, Massachusetts.
“As a result, appropriate therapy is delayed, often until the disease worsens to the point where diagnosis is clear, but effective treatment is more difficult.”
In search of a new diagnostic approach, Dr Clark and her colleagues used HTS to analyze T-cell receptor genes from blood and skin tissue samples. The team compared samples from 46 CTCL patients to samples from healthy individuals and patients with psoriasis, eczema, and other non-cancerous, inflammatory skin diseases.
By identifying and quantifying malignant T cells, HTS accurately distinguished CTCL from other skin diseases in all 46 patients. In contrast, polymerase chain reaction correctly identified 70% of the CTCL samples, often missing earlier-stage tumors.
For a subset of patients, the researchers used HTS to track malignant T cells over time, allowing them to detect early recurrence and monitor patient response to treatment.
HTS also revealed new insights into the cell of origin for CTCL, which has remained unresolved. The researchers found that CTCL arises from mature T cells, a discovery that may aid the development of more effective therapy.
The team said that, altogether, their findings suggest HTS is a promising tool for guiding earlier diagnosis and, thus, treatment of CTCL patients.
HTS was performed using ImmunoSEQ, an assay developed by Adaptive Biotechnologies. The company did not sponsor the study, but company employees were involved in the research.
High-throughput sequencing (HTS) may enable earlier diagnosis of cutaneous T-cell lymphoma (CTCL), according to a study published in Science Translational Medicine.
Researchers said HTS, which provided new insights into the biology of CTCL, accurately diagnosed 100% of patients with the disease, including those with early stage and recurrent CTCL.
HTS exhibited greater sensitivity and specificity than polymerase chain reaction.
The researchers noted that, in CTCL, cancerous T cells accumulate in the skin, causing skin tumors but also rashes that are often mistaken for benign inflammatory skin conditions. And this delays diagnosis.
“Using current methods, it takes, on average, 6 years for patients to receive a definitive CTCL diagnosis,” said Rachael Clark, MD, PhD, of Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Boston, Massachusetts.
“As a result, appropriate therapy is delayed, often until the disease worsens to the point where diagnosis is clear, but effective treatment is more difficult.”
In search of a new diagnostic approach, Dr Clark and her colleagues used HTS to analyze T-cell receptor genes from blood and skin tissue samples. The team compared samples from 46 CTCL patients to samples from healthy individuals and patients with psoriasis, eczema, and other non-cancerous, inflammatory skin diseases.
By identifying and quantifying malignant T cells, HTS accurately distinguished CTCL from other skin diseases in all 46 patients. In contrast, polymerase chain reaction correctly identified 70% of the CTCL samples, often missing earlier-stage tumors.
For a subset of patients, the researchers used HTS to track malignant T cells over time, allowing them to detect early recurrence and monitor patient response to treatment.
HTS also revealed new insights into the cell of origin for CTCL, which has remained unresolved. The researchers found that CTCL arises from mature T cells, a discovery that may aid the development of more effective therapy.
The team said that, altogether, their findings suggest HTS is a promising tool for guiding earlier diagnosis and, thus, treatment of CTCL patients.
HTS was performed using ImmunoSEQ, an assay developed by Adaptive Biotechnologies. The company did not sponsor the study, but company employees were involved in the research.