Monoclonal B-cell lymphocytosis (MBL) with normal lymphocyte counts is associated with decreased numbers of normal circulating B-cell subsets

Am J Hematol. 2012 Jul;87(7):721-4. doi: 10.1002/ajh.23214. Epub 2012 Jun 8.

Abstract

Monoclonal B-cell lymphocytosis (MBL) with normal lymphocyte counts is associated with decreased numbers of normal circulating B-cell subsets.Little is known about the distribution of normal lymphoid cells and their subsets in the peripheral blood (PB) of subjects with monoclonal B-cell lymphocytosis (MBL). In our study, we compared the absolute number of PB lymphoid cells and their subpopulations in 95 MBL cases with normal lymphocyte counts vs. 617 age-/sex-matched non-MBL healthy subjects (controls), using highly sensitive flow cytometry. MBL cases showed significantly reduced numbers of normal circulating B-cells, at the expense of immature and naive B-cells; in addition, CD4+CD8+ double-positive T-cells and CD8+ T-cells were significantly lower and higher vs. controls, respectively. Moreover, most normal B-cell subsets were significantly decreased in PB at >1% MBL-counts, vs. "low-count" MBL cases, and lower amounts of immature/naive B-cells were detected in biclonal (particularly in cases with coexisting CLL-like- and non-CLL-like B-cell clones) vs. monoclonal MBL subjects. In summary, our results show imbalanced (reduced) absolute numbers of recently produced normal circulating B-cells (e.g., immature and naıve B-cells) in MBL, which becomes more pronounced as the MBL cell count increases.

Publication types

  • Multicenter Study
  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Adult
  • Age Factors
  • Aged
  • Aged, 80 and over
  • Antibodies, Monoclonal / analysis*
  • Antigens, CD / blood
  • B-Lymphocyte Subsets / immunology*
  • B-Lymphocyte Subsets / metabolism
  • Cohort Studies
  • Female
  • Flow Cytometry
  • Humans
  • Lymphocyte Count
  • Lymphocytosis / blood
  • Lymphocytosis / immunology*
  • Lymphocytosis / metabolism
  • Male
  • Middle Aged
  • Paraproteinemias / blood
  • Paraproteinemias / immunology*
  • Paraproteinemias / metabolism
  • Precursor Cells, B-Lymphoid / immunology
  • Precursor Cells, B-Lymphoid / metabolism

Substances

  • Antibodies, Monoclonal
  • Antigens, CD