CYTOPLASMIC IMMUNOGLOBULINS IN CHRONIC LYMPHOCYTIC-LEUKEMIA B-CELLS

  • 1 April 1987
    • journal article
    • research article
    • Vol. 69  (4) , 1011-1014
Abstract
It is generally assumed that chronic lymphocytic leukemia of B cell origin (B-CLL) is characterized by the presence of surface membrane immunoglobulins (SmIg) and by the absence of cytoplasmic immunoglobulins (CyIg). In a variable number of cases SmIg are not detectable because of their low density on the cellular surface. Because a constant presence of CyIg in 20 subjects suffering from B-CLL has been reported recently, we reexamined 15 SmIg-negative and 10 SmIg-positive B-CLL patients by SmIg and CyIg determinations. We used a direct immunofluorescence method on peripheral blood mononuclear cells for the detection of SmIg and, after fixation, for CyIg. CyIg were detectable in 24 out of 25 cases, with a fluorescence intensity ranging from weak to moderate. The existence of frequent negative results for CyIg determination in B-Cll reported in the literature probably depends on the low sensitivity of the method used. We conclude that CyIg determination is useful in phenotyping every B-CLL patient, especially SmIg-negative ones.

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