title: [Prolymphocytic leukemia, description of 2 cases].
abstract: We present the clinical and laboratory features of 2 patients with B prolymphocytic leukemia. Both are females of the fifth and seventh decade of life. One had the classical clinical picture of massive splenomegaly and a high white cell count, with characteristic prolymphocytes, and the other was asymptomatic, with a low white cell count. The cells were positive to B cell lineage reagents with strong surface immunoglobuline (Ig) and unreactive to T cell antibodies. Analysis of Ig genes at the DNA level demonstrated that both cases had heavy-chain gene rearrangements, confirming the B-cell origin. These are the first patients of prolymphocytic leukemia described in Chile.
authors.affiliation: Hospital del Salvador, Departamento de Medicina, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad de Chile.
authors.forename: M E
authors.initials: ME
authors.lastname: Cabrera
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Labra
authors.forename: W
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Andrade
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Ossandón
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Barriga
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D015342:DNA Probes; D005260:Female; D005819:Genetic Markers; D006801:Humans; D016130:Immunophenotyping; D015463:Leukemia, Prolymphocytic / Q000097:blood / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology; D008875:Middle Aged
chemical_list: D015342:DNA Probes; D005819:Genetic Markers