The effects of splenic irradiation on lymphocyte subpopulations in chronic B-lymphocytic leukemia.
We describe the effect of splenic irradiation (SI) (0.5-1 Gy weekly) on lymphocyte subpopulations for 7 patients with progressive B chronic B-lymphocytic leukemia (B-CLL). Using specific cellular characteristics we could distinguish normal from abnormal cells. The irradiation resulted in a decrease of lymph node size, reduction in spleen volume and decrease in peripheral blood lymphocytes. The one exception was a patient with a prolymphocytoid transformation of B-CLL. For 3 patients SI had to be interrupted or stopped because of severe cytopenia. Quantitation of malignant B cells and normal T lymphocytes revealed that the total irradiation dose which resulted in a specific decrease of malignant lymphocytes varied from patient to patient. Normal T-cell subpopulations, which were increased before SI, decreased to normal or abnormally low values during SI. In previously untreated patients, natural killer (NK) cell numbers decreased more rapidly than T-cell subpopulations. For 2 patients refractory to chemotherapy an increase of NK cells was observed upon SI.
Terstappen
L W
LW
Twente University of Technology, Department of Applied Physics, Enschede, The Netherlands.
de Grooth
B G
BG
van Berkel
W
W
ten Napel
C H
CH
van Reijn
M
M
Greve
J
J
D000943:Antigens, Differentiation / Q000032:analysis; D006801:Humans; D007694:Killer Cells, Natural / Q000528:radiation effects; D015451:Leukemia, Lymphocytic, Chronic, B-Cell / Q000473:pathology / Q000532:radiotherapy*; D007958:Leukocyte Count / Q000528:radiation effects; D008198:Lymph Nodes / Q000473:pathology; D008214:Lymphocytes / Q000145:classification* / Q000528:radiation effects; D011836:Radiation Tolerance; D013154:Spleen / Q000473:pathology / Q000528:radiation effects*; D013601:T-Lymphocytes / Q000528:radiation effects
D000943:Antigens, Differentiation