title: Pregnancy improves neutropenia in T-cell large granular lymphocyte leukaemia.
abstract: The effect of pregnancy on T-cell large granular lymphocyte (LGL) leukaemia has not been previously described. We retrospectively reviewed the clinical features of three patients with T-cell LGL leukaemia; each of them had one or more pregnancies during disease evolution. Pregnancy was associated with sustained improvement in neutrophil count and concurrent reduction in lymphocytosis. Neutropenia returned in the non-pregnant state in all cases. A similar effect, induced by exogenous progesterone in one patient, suggests a role for progesterone in overcoming mechanisms of neutropenia in this disease. Pregnancy thus appears to have a beneficial effect on neutrophil count in T-cell LGL leukaemia.
authors.affiliation: Section of Haemato-Oncology, Royal Marsden NHS Foundation Trust/Institute of Cancer Research, Surrey SM2 5PT, UK.
authors.forename: Nnenna
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Osuji
authors.forename: Estella
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Matutes
authors.forename: Claire
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Dearden
authors.forename: Daniel
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Catovsky
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D016572:Cyclosporine / Q000627:therapeutic use; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007166:Immunosuppressive Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use; D015461:Leukemia, Prolymphocytic, T-Cell / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000276:immunology* / Q000378:metabolism; D007958:Leukocyte Count; D009503:Neutropenia / Q000378:metabolism; D011247:Pregnancy; D011252:Pregnancy Complications, Neoplastic / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000276:immunology* / Q000378:metabolism; D011374:Progesterone / Q000378:metabolism; D012008:Recurrence; D012189:Retrospective Studies
chemical_list: D007166:Immunosuppressive Agents; D011374:Progesterone; D016572:Cyclosporine