Lymphocyte Subpopulations in Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia

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Abstract
Peripheral blood lymphocytes from eight patients with chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) were studied. Characterization by different cell surface markers showed low percentages of lymphocytes that bound sheep erythrocytes and had receptors for activated human complement but markedly increased numbers of cells that carried surface immunoglobulins It is concluded that Ig‐bearing lymphocytes are mainly responsible for the lymphocytosis in CLL. The capacity of CLL lymphocytes to lyse 51Cr‐labeled chicken erythrocyte in vitro in the presence of phytohemagglutinin (PHA) or antibodies against target cells was reduced A strong correlation was found between the percentages of complement receptor‐bearing lymphocytes and their antibody‐induced cytotoxicity. The ability of CLL lymphocytes to synthetize DNA after stimulation with PHA or pokeweed mitogen (PWM) was reduced The impairment of stimulation was more pronounced at low concentrations of PWM than at high concentrations. This observation is in line with the assumption that low doses of PWM activate mainly bone marrow‐derived lymphocytes and that the normal B‐lymphocyte population is replaced by leukemic cells in CLL.