Premium
Studies of Human Peripheral Lymph II. Low Lymphocyte Count and Few B‐Lymphocytes in Peripheral Lymph of Patients with Chronic Lymphocytic Leukaemia
Author(s) -
Engeset A.,
Frøiland S. S.,
Bremer K.
Publication year - 1974
Publication title -
scandinavian journal of haematology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.904
H-Index - 84
eISSN - 1600-0609
pISSN - 0036-553X
DOI - 10.1111/j.1600-0609.1974.tb00241.x
Subject(s) - lymph , lymphocyte , lymph node , medicine , lymphatic system , pathology , peripheral , b cell , immunology , antibody
Peripheral lymph was studied in 11 patients with chronic lymphocytic leukaemia (CLL) with blood lymphocyte counts between 2,100 and 93,000/μl and in 8 control patients with solid tumours and haematologically normal with lymphocyte counts below 3,500/μl. The mean lymphocyte count in peripheral lymph in the two groups was about the same order, 123 and 149/μ1 respectively despite marked differences in blood lymphocyte count. This demonstrates that the leukaemic cells do not migrate to any significant extent into the subcutaneous tissue and back to the lymphatics. 5 of the 6 CLL patients studied had > 90 % B‐lymphocytes (identified by their membrane bound immunoglobulin) in the blood representing both relatively and absolutely much higher blood B‐lymphocyte values than normal (3–22 %). The percentage of B‐lymphocytes in the lymph was 5 % or less with the exception of one patient with 50%. It is concluded that reduced lymphocyte recirculation in CLL does not depend on functionally altered lymph nodes since a direct effect of the lymph node on the cell number in peripheral lymph can be excluded. Our data indicate that the minimal recirculation to peripheral lymph depends on properties of the leukaemic cell possibly reflecting a normal B‐cell characteristic.