B-CELLS NUMBER AND THEIR ACTIVITY IN PATIENTS UNDER THERAPY FOR LEUKEMIA AND LYMPHOMA

The aim of this study was to investigate the numerical and functional status of B cell compartment in peripheral blood of 254 patients suffe ring from different lymphoproliferative disorders and acute non-lympho blastic leukemia (ANNL), as disease control group. The lymphocytes wer e tested for the presence of B cell restricted (Yc-RFC and M-RFC) and for B cell associated, (CD5) membrane markers, and for B cell activity , which was quantified by measuring the concentrations of serum immuno globulins and immunocomplexes. All patients were immunologically teste d at diagnosis, during treatment and after chemotherapy. Low proportio ns of mature B lymphocytes (Yc-RFC) in all patients before therapy did not differ significantly at the end of treatment from those found pri or to therapy. The significantly (p < 0.00001, Mann-Whitney-U test) hi gher proportions of immature B lymphocytes (M-RFC) and CD5+ lymphocyte s, were registered only in chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) patients . These cells were not normalized after therapy (p < 0.001; p < 0.012 respectively). The concentrations of immunoglobulins were diminished i n CLL and acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) patients, and remained lo wer than controls regardless to therapy. Serum from lymphoma-high-grad e malignancy and ANNL patients, contained increased concentrations of IgG and IgA, which did not change after treatment, whereas IgG and IgM of low grade malignancy lymphoma, were reduced. These latter were nor malized after therapy. The circulating immune complexes being signific antly higher in lymphoma-high-grade and ANNL than controls (p < 0.0036 ; p < 0.01 respectively), remained high regardless to therapy. B cell number and activity in most of our patients did not normalize with dis ease control. Such humoral abnormalities, in our opinion, could be att ributed to reduced mature B cell population and to persistence of high er level of immunologically immature B lymphocytes.