THE ROLE OF THE MONOCLONAL B LYMPHOCYTOSIS IN THE ETIOLOGY OF CHRONIC LYMPHOCYTIC LEUKEMIA
Abstract:
Chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) is among the most common types of leukemia. Recent
studies suggest that a population of clonal B cells with the phenotype of CLL, can be detected in the
general population, a condition now designated as monoclonal B-cell lymphocytosis (MBL). Although
all cases of CLL appear to be preceded by MBL, the majority of individuals with MBL will not develop a
hematologic malignancy. The biological characteristics and clinical implications of MBL appear to
differ based on whether it is identified during the diagnostic evaluation of lymphocytosis or incidentally
discovered through screening of individuals with normal lymphocyte counts as part of research studies
using highly sensitive detection methods. In this paper, we provide a state of the art review on the
nomenclature, diagnosis and the role of MBL in the etiology of CLL.
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