[Chronic lymphocytic leukemia in Japan].
Forty-one patients diagnosed as having B-cell chronic lymphocytic leukemia in Japan were evaluated. Patients were classified into five groups (CLL, CLL-L, CLL/PL, PLL, LSCL) according to differential counts of small lymphocytes, large lymphocytes, prolymphocytes, immunoblasts and/or lymphosarcoma cells among the lymphoid cells in the first available peripheral smears based on Melo's morphological criteria. Patients with typical CLL, defined as having more than 90% small lymphocytes, were seven (17%) of 41 patients. Phenotypical characteristic of CLL and its subgroups in Japan was considered to be the high expression of activated antigens, such as CD22, PCA1 and CD25. This finding may support the relatively higher proportion of atypical CLL with high percentage of large lymphocytes or prolymphocytes in Japan than that in Western countries. The molecular biological analysis revealed the deletion of C mu gene in one allele in three sIg-negative cases. The incidence of CLL, CLL-L and CLL/PL in Japan was deduced to be 1/10 of that in Western countries.
Second Department of Internal Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Mie University.
T
T
Kobayashi
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K
Kita
T
T
Ohno
S
S
Shirakawa
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D015703:Antigens, CD / Q000032:analysis; D000944:Antigens, Differentiation, B-Lymphocyte / Q000032:analysis; D000970:Antineoplastic Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007564:Japan / Q000453:epidemiology; D015451:Leukemia, Lymphocytic, Chronic, B-Cell / Q000145:classification / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000276:immunology / Q000473:pathology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011518:Proto-Oncogene Proteins / Q000235:genetics; D015996:Survival Rate
D015703:Antigens, CD; D000944:Antigens, Differentiation, B-Lymphocyte; D000970:Antineoplastic Agents; D011518:Proto-Oncogene Proteins