title: Aberrant morphology, proliferation, and apoptosis of B-cell chronic lymphocytic leukemia cells.
abstract: B-cell chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) has been traditionally described as a disease characterized by an accumulation of quiescent small lymphocytes with decreased susceptibility to apoptotic cell death. However, small numbers of "atypical" lymphocytes and prolymphocytes (PL) are frequently observed in the bone marrow (BM) of patients with CLL. In this study, we examined BM biopsy and aspirate specimens obtained from seven patients with atypical CLL. Using a double labeling (Ki-67+/CD20+) immunohistochemical method, we found that an appreciable number of the atypical CLL cells expressed the proliferation-associated protein Ki-67. Because CLL is characterized by a slow change in the peripheral blood (PB) lymphocyte count, we reasoned that a subpopulation of CLL cells probably undergoes spontaneous apoptosis. Using Western blot analysis, we observed expression of procaspase-9, procaspase-10, and poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase by the neoplastic cells in all seven cases of CLL, and procaspase-3 and procaspase-8 expression in six neoplasms. We also detected cleaved caspase-3 and cleaved poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase in four and five CLL cases, respectively. To determine whether CLL cells undergo spontaneous apoptosis, we performed the terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase-mediated dUTP nick-end labeling (TUNEL) assay using BM biopsy specimens. We found TUNEL-positive lymphocytes in areas infiltrated by CLL. In summary, our data show that subpopulations of B-lymphocytes are proliferating or undergoing spontaneous apoptotic cell death in patients with atypical CLL.
authors.affiliation: Department of Hematopathology, The University of Texas M.D. Anderson Cancer Center, Houston 77030, USA.
authors.forename: Carlos E
authors.initials: CE
authors.lastname: Bueso-Ramos
authors.forename: Alessandra
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Ferrajoli
authors.forename: L Jeffrey
authors.initials: LJ
authors.lastname: Medeiros
authors.forename: Michael J
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: Keating
authors.forename: Zeev
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Estrov
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D018951:Antigens, CD20 / Q000096:biosynthesis; D017209:Apoptosis; D001402:B-Lymphocytes / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology; D001854:Bone Marrow Cells / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology; D053455:Caspase 10; D053148:Caspase 3; D053453:Caspase 9; D020169:Caspases / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000378:metabolism; D049109:Cell Proliferation; D004792:Enzyme Precursors / Q000096:biosynthesis; D005260:Female; D015973:Gene Expression Regulation, Leukemic; D006801:Humans; D019394:Ki-67 Antigen / Q000096:biosynthesis; D015451:Leukemia, Lymphocytic, Chronic, B-Cell / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology; D018655:Lymphocyte Count; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011065:Poly(ADP-ribose) Polymerases / Q000378:metabolism; D011499:Protein Processing, Post-Translational
chemical_list: D018951:Antigens, CD20; D004792:Enzyme Precursors; D019394:Ki-67 Antigen; D011065:Poly(ADP-ribose) Polymerases; C505407:CASP3 protein, human; C506433:CASP9 protein, human; D053455:Caspase 10; D053148:Caspase 3; D053453:Caspase 9; D020169:Caspases; C506438:CASP10 protein, human