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A low blood lymphocyte count is associated with an expansion of activated cytotoxic lymphocytes in patients with B‐cell chronic lymphocytic leukaemia
Author(s) -
Martín Alfredo Prieto,
Martín Eduardo Reyes,
Arriagada Flavio Carrión,
HernandezFuentes Maria del Puerto,
Vilaplana Joan Cháfer,
GarcíaSuárez Julio,
Soto Melchor AlvarezMon
Publication year - 1997
Publication title -
european journal of haematology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.904
H-Index - 84
eISSN - 1600-0609
pISSN - 0902-4441
DOI - 10.1111/j.1600-0609.1997.tb00731.x
Subject(s) - immunophenotyping , cd8 , cytotoxic t cell , immunology , lymphocyte , cd3 , t lymphocyte , medicine , biology , immune system , flow cytometry , in vitro , biochemistry
In order to determine the relationships between CD2+ lymphocyte subpopulations and tumour mass, the immunophenotype of natural killer (NK) cells and T lymphocyte subsets was studied in 56 B‐chronic lymphocytic leukaemia (B‐CLL) patients and 38 healthy subjects. The patients were classified according to their blood lymphocyte count (BLC). Forty patients had BLC<30×10 9 /l (low BLC, less tumour mass) and 16 patients had BLC>30×10 9 /l (high BLC, larger tumour mass). The percentage of CD3 – CD56+ cells, as well as of CD8+, CD8+CD45RO+ and CD3+CD57+ T subsets in low BLC patients, were higher than those found in high BLC patients. Conversely, the percentages of CD3+HLA DR+, CD4+ and CD4+CD45RO+ lymphocytes were higher in high BLC patients than in low BLC patients. The CD4/CD8 ratio was decreased in low BLC patients while it was increased in high BLC patients and a significant positive correlation was found between their CD4/CD8 ratio and their BLC. We conclude that in low BLC B‐CLL patients there is a decreased percentage of activated helper lymphocytes and an increased percentage of NK cells and activated cytotoxic T lymphocytes. These results suggest a role for NK cells, and helper and cytotoxic T lymphocytes in the control of tumour burden in B‐CLL patients.