title: Spontaneous regression of chronic lymphocytic leukemia to a monoclonal B-lymphocytosis or to a normal phenotype.
abstract: Spontaneous remission of chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) is an unusual and poorly characterized event. We performed a search for spontaneous remission in patients with CLL. Cases must have had a pathological diagnosis of CLL with disease duration > 6 months. Spontaneous remission was defined as absence of lymphadenopathy or splenomegaly with lymphocyte counts < 5 × 10(9)/L for > 9 months without therapy. We identified 20 cases and included one additional case from our institution. Fourteen cases (67%) showed remission into monoclonal B lymphocytosis (MBL) and seven (33%) into a normal phenotype. There was no difference in age distribution, lymphocyte count or stage between groups. There was a significant difference in the median duration of CLL prior to remission, 13 years in the MBL versus 3 years in the normal phenotype group (p = 0.03). This difference in the duration of CLL prior to remission could be due to a possible distinct pathophysiology for these events.
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicine, Rhode Island Hospital,Providence, RI, USA. peter_nakhla@brown.edu
authors.forename: Peter S
authors.initials: PS
authors.lastname: Nakhla
authors.forename: James N
authors.initials: JN
authors.lastname: Butera
authors.forename: Diana O
authors.initials: DO
authors.lastname: Treaba
authors.forename: Jorge J
authors.initials: JJ
authors.lastname: Castillo
authors.forename: Peter J
authors.initials: PJ
authors.lastname: Quesenberry
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D001402:B-Lymphocytes / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology; D006801:Humans; D015451:Leukemia, Lymphocytic, Chronic, B-Cell / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology*; D008218:Lymphocytosis / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology*; D008297:Male; D009365:Neoplasm Regression, Spontaneous; D010641:Phenotype