title: B-cell chronic lymphocytic leukaemia stage 0. An immunophenotypic study of 66 cases and comparison with B small cell lymphomas.
abstract: The cells of 66 B-CLL stage 0 patients were analyzed using a large panel of monoclonal antibodies in order to better define the immunophenotype of B-CLL. The data were compared with the immunophenotypes of lymph node cells from 51 patients with diffuse B small cell lymphoma or leukaemia with lymph node enlargement. The most frequent immunophenotype of B-CLL stage 0 was SIgM(D)+ EmR+ CD5+ CD9+ CD21+ CD23+ CD35- CD38-. Among the lymphomas, EmR-positive and EmR-negative cases were identified. The vast majority of the EmR-positive cases usually showed the leukaemic pattern, immunophenotype and lymph node histology of B-CLL. The EmR-negative cases usually had immunophenotypes quite different from those of B-CLL and the histology of indented cell lymphoma (centrocytic or intermediate) or features of lymphoplasmacytoid/cytic lymphoma. More than 20% of EmR-positive cells proved to be the most important marker to distinguish B-CLL from other lymphocytic lymphomas. Indeed this was a sign of better prognosis. Lymphoplasmacytoid/cytic lymphomas were EmR-positive with the immunophenotype of B-CLL or EmR-negative with a definitely different immunological profile. This suggests two morphologically similar but biologically different subgroups of these diseases.
authors.affiliation: Department of Biomedical Sciences and Human Oncology, University of Torino Medical School, Italy.
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Stramignoni
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Valente
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Geuna
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Stramignoni
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Novero
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Ragona
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Resegotti
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Palestro
mesh_terms: D015703:Antigens, CD / Q000032:analysis; D006801:Humans; D016130:Immunophenotyping; D015451:Leukemia, Lymphocytic, Chronic, B-Cell / Q000276:immunology / Q000473:pathology*; D008198:Lymph Nodes / Q000276:immunology / Q000473:pathology; D016393:Lymphoma, B-Cell / Q000276:immunology / Q000473:pathology*; D008232:Lymphoproliferative Disorders / Q000276:immunology / Q000473:pathology; D016019:Survival Analysis
chemical_list: D015703:Antigens, CD