Serum Protein Patterns in Participants With Mycosis Fungoides/Cutaneous T-Cell Lymphoma, Psoriasis, or Normal Skin

Characterization of Serum Proteomic Patterns in Neoplastic and Inflammatory Skin Disease

RATIONALE: The presence of specific serum proteins may allow a doctor to determine if a patient has mycosis fungoides/cutaneous T-cell lymphoma.

PURPOSE: This clinical trial is studying how well blood protein analysis detects mycosis fungoides/cutaneous T-cell lymphoma.

OBJECTIVES:

• Determine whether computer-assisted, higher-order analysis of participant low molecular weight serum proteins can detect distinctive proteomic patterns in participants with normal skin vs mycosis fungoides/cutaneous T-cell lymphoma vs psoriasis.
• Determine whether these proteomic patterns can distinguish between various stages of cutaneous T-cell lymphoma.

OUTLINE: This is a pilot study.

Participants complete a general and skin health questionnaire and undergo a whole-body skin examination. Blood samples are taken and analyzed for low molecular weight serum proteins by mass spectroscopy.

PROJECTED ACCRUAL: A total of 141-423 participants (47-94 each of healthy volunteers, psoriasis patients, and T3 cutaneous T-cell lymphoma patients and 141 T1, T2, and T4 mycosis fungoides patients) will be accrued for this study within 3 years.

DISEASE CHARACTERISTICS:

• Meets criteria for 1 of the following categories:

  • Healthy skin volunteer

    • No significant inflammatory or neoplastic disease of the skin or internal organs

  • Diagnosis of 1 of the following skin diseases*:

    • Psoriasis

      • Plaque-type disease
      • Psoriasis Area and Severity Index score at least 12

    • Mycosis fungoides/cutaneous T-cell lymphoma

      • Clinical diagnosis of T1-T4 skin disease with a compatible pathologic diagnosis NOTE: *Stable or worsening disease on no therapy or topical therapy only within the past 2 weeks

PATIENT CHARACTERISTICS:

Age

• 18 to 85

Performance status

• Not specified

Life expectancy

• Not specified

Hematopoietic

• Not specified

Hepatic

• Not specified

Renal

• Not specified

Other

• Not pregnant
• No known HIV-1-related diseases
• No known HTLV-1-related diseases
• Willing to undergo brief skin examination and fill out a questionnaire regarding skin and general health

PRIOR CONCURRENT THERAPY:

Biologic therapy

• Not specified

Chemotherapy

• Not specified

Endocrine therapy

• Not specified

Radiotherapy

• Not specified

Surgery

• Not specified

Other

• More than 2 weeks since prior systemic therapy for skin disease