Leukemic involvement is a common feature in mantle cell lymphoma.
BACKGROUND
The reported incidence of peripheral blood involvement in patients with mantle cell lymphoma (MCL) ranges from 13% to 77%. The aim of the study was to analyze the prevalence and the biologic and clinical significance of leukemic involvement in a series of patients with MCL.


METHODS
Leukemic expression was assessed by conventional morphology and flow cytometry (FC) in 48 patients. In addition, comparative genomic hybridization (CGH) was performed in 27 patients.


RESULTS
At diagnosis, 44 patients (92%) had evidence of leukemic expression by FC, including 8 patients (17%) without morphologically apparent leukemic involvement. Moreover, a lymphocyte count > or =5 x 10(9)/L was observed in 25 cases (52%). The most frequent imbalances detected by CGH were gains of 3q, 7p, 8q, 9q, 12q, and 13q, and losses of 13q, 1p, 9p, 11q, 10p, 17p, 6q, 8p, and 9q. Using a cutoff of 5 x 10(9)/L lymphocytes, cases with lymphocytosis more frequently presented with gains of 3q (P = .02), losses of 10p (P = .05), a low response rate (P = .04), and a short survival (P = .05).


CONCLUSIONS
Leukemic expression at diagnosis detected by FC was found to be highly frequent in this series of patients with MCL. Although morphologically apparent leukemic expression was not associated with specific chromosomal alterations detected by CGH, a lymphocyte count > or =5 x 10(9)/L was correlated with particular genetic abnormalities and a poor outcome.
Ferrer
Ana
A
Department of Hematology, Hospital Clinic, University of Barcelona, IDIBAPS, Barcelona, Spain.
Salaverria
Itziar
I
Bosch
Francesc
F
Villamor
Neus
N
Rozman
María
M
Beà
Silvia
S
Giné
Eva
E
López-Guillermo
Armando
A
Campo
Elías
E
Montserrat
Emili
E
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D002869:Chromosome Aberrations; D002877:Chromosomes, Human / Q000235:genetics*; D005260:Female; D005434:Flow Cytometry; D006801:Humans; D016130:Immunophenotyping; D017404:In Situ Hybridization, Fluorescence; D007938:Leukemia / Q000209:etiology* / Q000235:genetics; D007962:Leukocytes / Q000473:pathology*; D020522:Lymphoma, Mantle-Cell / Q000150:complications*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009693:Nucleic Acid Hybridization; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction; D015996:Survival Rate