title: Intravascular bone marrow accumulation in persistent polyclonal lymphocytosis: a misleading feature for B-cell neoplasm.
abstract: Persistent polyclonal B-cell lymphocytosis is usually reported in young smoking women. Whether this syndrome represents a premalignant or benign disease remains unclear. Indeed, because of the association of Bcl-2/IgH rearrangement and cytogenetic abnormalities, such cases may be misdiagnosed as the leukemic phase of a non-Hodgkin's lymphoma. We report eight new cases of persistent polyclonal B-cell lymphocytosis, which displayed a misleading bone marrow histological pattern, that is, intravascular B-cell infiltrate, constantly associated with Bcl-2 immunohistostaining, as seen in some lymphoma. We also show the absence or low expression of adhesion molecules on persistent polyclonal B-cell lymphocytes, suggesting that migration abnormalities might lead to bone marrow and peripheral blood accumulation. Although most cases presented multiple Bcl-2/IgH gene rearrangements and appeared to be polyclonal, oligoclonal expansion was identified in one out of eight patients, yet was not associated with clinical aggressiveness. The occasional reports of oligoclonal IgH and Bcl-2/IgH rearrangements in this disorder suggest that polyclonal expansion may be followed by the emergence of a predominant clone. However, the benign clinical course and lack of biological evolution in most cases imply that it is mandatory to distinguish this disorder from other malignant lymphoproliferations, so that unnecessary aggressive therapy can be avoided.
authors.affiliation: Department of Hematology-Internal Medicine, University Hospital of Nancy, France.
authors.forename: Pierre
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Feugier
authors.forename: Anne Kennel
authors.initials: AK
authors.lastname: De March
authors.forename: Jean F
authors.initials: JF
authors.lastname: Lesesve
authors.forename: Nathalie
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Monhoven
authors.forename: Véronique
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Dorvaux
authors.forename: Françoise
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Braun
authors.forename: Marie J
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: Grégoire
authors.forename: Philippe
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Jonveaux
authors.forename: Pierre
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Lederlin
authors.forename: Marie C
authors.initials: MC
authors.lastname: Béné
authors.forename: Eric
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Labouyrie
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D015703:Antigens, CD / Q000032:analysis; D001402:B-Lymphocytes / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology*; D001808:Blood Vessels / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D001853:Bone Marrow / Q000098:blood supply / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology*; D020732:Cytogenetic Analysis; D005260:Female; D015321:Gene Rearrangement; D006801:Humans; D007143:Immunoglobulin Heavy Chains / Q000235:genetics; D016130:Immunophenotyping; D007621:Karyotyping; D008218:Lymphocytosis / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction; D019253:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-bcl-2 / Q000235:genetics; D016692:Receptors, Antigen, T-Cell, gamma-delta / Q000235:genetics
chemical_list: D015703:Antigens, CD; D007143:Immunoglobulin Heavy Chains; D019253:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-bcl-2; D016692:Receptors, Antigen, T-Cell, gamma-delta