title: Abnormal expansions of polyclonal large to small size granular lymphocytes: reactive or neoplastic process?
abstract: Morphological, immunologic, and functional properties of peripheral blood cells from two patients with chronic proliferations of granular lymphocytes are described. Cells from both patients showed a heterogeneous pattern from both a morphological and immunologic standpoint, indicating a polyclonal, rather than a monoclonal, expansion of these cells. In fact, both large and small-to-medium-sized granular lymphocytes were observed, and different percentages of positivity were found in the analysis with a large panel of monoclonal antibodies. Serologic and histologic features support the hypothesis that this lymphocytosis could be secondary to bacterial or viral infections rather than a primary event, suggesting that these patients may have chronic reactive immunoregulatory disorders.
mesh_terms: D000135:Acid Phosphatase / Q000097:blood; D000328:Adult; D000956:Antigens, Viral / Q000276:immunology; D001854:Bone Marrow Cells; D002353:Carrier State; D003594:Cytoplasmic Granules; D005966:Glucuronidase / Q000097:blood; D006511:Hepatitis B Antigens / Q000276:immunology; D006521:Hepatitis, Chronic / Q000209:etiology; D006529:Hepatomegaly / Q000209:etiology; D004854:Herpesvirus 4, Human / Q000276:immunology; D006801:Humans; D006942:Hypergammaglobulinemia / Q000209:etiology; D008214:Lymphocytes / Q000166:cytology / Q000201:enzymology; D008218:Lymphocytosis / Q000209:etiology*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009000:Monocytes / Q000648:ultrastructure; D009283:Naphthol AS D Esterase / Q000097:blood; D012480:Salmonella Infections / Q000209:etiology
chemical_list: D000956:Antigens, Viral; D006511:Hepatitis B Antigens; D009283:Naphthol AS D Esterase; D000135:Acid Phosphatase; D005966:Glucuronidase