Circulating levels of soluble CD23 reflect clinical and biological features of leukemic B-cell chronic lymphoproliferative disorders (original) (raw)

1995, International Journal of Clinical & Laboratory Research

One hundred and twenty-four sera from patients with various leukemic B-cell chronic lymphoproliferative diseases were investigated at diagnosis by ELISA for their soluble CD23 content. Immunophenotyping was carried out in all patients, and in a selected subset the mean number of membrane-bound CD23 molecules per cell was also investigated. Seventy-three patients had typical B chronic lymphocytic leukemia, 41 leukemic B-cell disorders with atypical morphological and/or immunophenotypic features, 5 had low-grade follicular cell lymphoma in the leukemic phase, and 5 had splenic lymphoma with villous lymphocytes. Soluble CD23 levels were significantly higher than in normal sera (mean_+SD: typical B chronic lymphocytic leukemia 3,650_+4,654 U/ml, atypical B chronic lymphocytic leukemia 3,440_+4,671 U/ml, follicular cell lymphoma 3,200_+ 1,511 U/ml, splenic lymphoma with villous lymphocytes 8,236_+ 7,294 U/ml, controls 137_+128 U/ml; P<0.001). More advanced Rai's stages were related to higher soluble CD23 levels (P<0.01), both in typical and atypical B chronic lymphocytic leukemias, the highest levels and the best correlation with the absolute number of circulating CDI9 + cells (r=0.50) being observed in the typical form. The number of membrane-bound CD23 molecules per cell was significantly higher in typical than in atypical B chronic lymphocytic leukemias (mean number 156,727_+94,668 vs. 12,010_+ 10,643, P<0.001). Our data suggest that soluble CD23 levels correlate with the clinical and biological features of leukemic B-cell lymphoproliferative disorders.