title: Analysis of CD23 antigen expression in B-chronic lymphocytic leukaemia and its correlation with clinical parameters.
abstract: B-Chronic lymphocytic leukaemia (B-CLL) is a monoclonal malignancy characterized by an accumulation of terminally differentiated small and anergic B lymphocytes in the blood, bone marrow and other tissues. CD23 antigen, a trans-membrane glycoprotein, promotes the activation and proliferation of normal B lymphocytes and has an important role in the process of malignant transformation in B-CLL. This retrospective cohort study of 77 consecutive newly diagnosed B-CLL patients, 43 males, 34 females, median age of 62 years, examined CD23 expression and correlations with clinical parameters. CD23+ was negatively correlated with pro-lymphocyte infiltration of the bone marrow (P<0.01) and peripheral blood lymphocyte counts (P<0.001). Lower CD23 expression was correlated with lower serum immunoglobulin levels (P<0.05), especially IgG; while greater CD23 expression was positively correlated with higher CD5 levels. B-CLL patients with a percentage of CD23+ lymphocytes >40% had longer survival (92.8 months) than those expressing <40% (35.3 months) (P=0.001). CD23 is not uniformly expressed by lymphocytes in B-CLL patients, and the differences in expression are dependent on a number of clinical parameters, including the peripheral blood lymphocyte count and the degree of pro-lymphocyte infiltration of the bone marrow. CD23 expression is significantly decreased in patients with extremely high lymphocyte counts (PBL counts of >100 x 10(9)/l) and in the advanced stages of disease.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Hematology, Clinical Center of Serbia, Dr Koste Todorovica 2, Belgrade, Serbia. vdvd@mailcity.com
authors.forename: Vladimir
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Jurisic
authors.forename: Natasa
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Colovic
authors.forename: Nada
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Kraguljac
authors.forename: Henry Dushan
authors.initials: HD
authors.lastname: Atkinson
authors.forename: Milica
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Colovic
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D018956:CD5 Antigens / Q000378:metabolism; D015331:Cohort Studies; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007136:Immunoglobulins / Q000097:blood; D016130:Immunophenotyping; D015451:Leukemia, Lymphocytic, Chronic, B-Cell / Q000276:immunology* / Q000401:mortality / Q000473:pathology / Q000503:physiopathology; D008214:Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology / Q000473:pathology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009367:Neoplasm Staging; D011379:Prognosis; D017455:Receptors, IgE / Q000378:metabolism*; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D016019:Survival Analysis
chemical_list: D018956:CD5 Antigens; D007136:Immunoglobulins; D017455:Receptors, IgE