title: T/NK large granular lymphocyte leukemia and coexisting monoclonal B-cell lymphocytosis-like proliferations. An unrecognized and frequent association.
abstract: T-cell large granular lymphocyte leukemia (T-LGLL) is a T-cell lymphoproliferative disorder that has recently been associated with B-cell dyscrasias on a spectrum ranging from dysgammaglobulinemia to lymphoma. To investigate the relationship between clonal B-cell and LGLL lymphoproliferations, we systematically studied lymphocytes in 57 patients with T-LGLL or NK lymphocytosis using flow cytometric methods sensitive to low-level B-cell populations. We identified 16 patients (28%) with abnormal B-cell populations; 9 (16%) of the patients had no known history of a B-cell lymphoproliferative disorder. We characterized these abnormal B-cell populations as monoclonal B-cell lymphocytosis and report a high frequency of monoclonal B-cell lymphocytosis in T/NK LGLL. Our findings suggest that certain pathologic factors may operate in patients with T/NK LGLL to drive low-level clonal B-cell proliferations.
authors.affiliation: Department of Clinical Pathology and Taussig Cancer Center, Cleveland Clinic, Cleveland, OH, USA.
authors.forename: Matthew T
authors.initials: MT
authors.lastname: Howard
authors.forename: Nelli
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Bejanyan
authors.forename: Jaroslaw P
authors.initials: JP
authors.lastname: Maciejewski
authors.forename: Eric D
authors.initials: ED
authors.lastname: Hsi
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001402:B-Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology* / Q000473:pathology; D005260:Female; D005434:Flow Cytometry; D006801:Humans; D007694:Killer Cells, Natural / Q000276:immunology* / Q000473:pathology; D054066:Leukemia, Large Granular Lymphocytic / Q000276:immunology*; D018655:Lymphocyte Count; D008218:Lymphocytosis / Q000150:complications / Q000276:immunology / Q000473:pathology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D013601:T-Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology* / Q000473:pathology