Long survival in B-CLL correlates with surface IgM kappa phenotype.
200 patients with B-cell chronic lymphocytic leukaemia (B-CLL) presenting to a single centre over 13 years have been studied. In 72.2% the diagnosis was made on an incidental blood count, and 70.1% were stage A at presentation. Those patients whose cells expressed surface IgM kappa were significantly more likely to be stage A at presentation and significantly less likely to have a lymphocyte count greater than 50 X 10(9)/l, to have progressive disease or to require treatment than those with other classes of surface Ig. Patients whose cells express surface IgM kappa have a significantly longer actuarial survival than others and this is also so when only patients in Binet stage A or when only patients presenting below the age of 75 are studied. By studying all of the cases presenting in a single catchment area we have attempted to avoid the bias against trivial disease likely to be seen in specialist referral centres.
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001402:B-Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007075:Immunoglobulin M / Q000032:analysis*; D007945:Leukemia, Lymphoid / Q000276:immunology* / Q000401:mortality / Q000473:pathology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009367:Neoplasm Staging; D011947:Receptors, Antigen, B-Cell / Q000032:analysis*
D007075:Immunoglobulin M; D011947:Receptors, Antigen, B-Cell