title: Microenvironmental influences in chronic lymphocytic leukaemia: the role of antigen stimulation.
abstract: Several studies suggest that immune-mediated pathways are important in the pathogenesis of chronic lymphocytic leukaemia (CLL). The in vivo accumulation of leukaemic lymphocytes is facilitated by interactions of CLL cells with other cells and soluble factors that probably occur more often within the microenvironment through classical receptor-ligand interactions. These include CD40L-CD40 and chemokine-chemokine receptor interactions as well as B cell receptor (BCR) engagement by (auto)antigens. Indeed, the categorizations of CLL patients based on immunoglobulin heavy variable (IGHV) gene mutations and structure of the clone's BCR suggest that CLL patient outcome could be a reflection of ongoing BCR signalling in the context of other co-signals.
authors.affiliation: Unit and Laboratory of Lymphoid Malignancies, Department of Oncology, Università Vita-Salute San Raffaele and Istituto Scientifico San Raffaele, Milan, Italy.
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Ghia
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Chiorazzi
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Stamatopoulos
mesh_terms: D000937:Antigen-Antibody Reactions; D001324:Autoantigens / Q000276:immunology*; D001402:B-Lymphocytes / Q000378:metabolism; D019013:CD40 Antigens / Q000378:metabolism; D023201:CD40 Ligand / Q000378:metabolism; D018925:Chemokines / Q000378:metabolism; D006801:Humans; D015451:Leukemia, Lymphocytic, Chronic, B-Cell / Q000276:immunology*; D008213:Lymphocyte Activation; D019707:Receptors, Chemokine / Q000378:metabolism; D015398:Signal Transduction / Q000276:immunology*
chemical_list: D001324:Autoantigens; D019013:CD40 Antigens; D018925:Chemokines; D019707:Receptors, Chemokine; D023201:CD40 Ligand