Test
From haematologyetc.co.uk
Background
Typical CLL can be diagnosed with some confidence using flow cytometry. CLL cells express low levels of B-cell receptor associated molecules (e.g. CD19, CD79B and sIg) together with CD5 and CD23 in typical cases. However, atypical cases are regularly encoutered and can cause diagnosic difficulty.
Immunophenotype of CLL | ||
---|---|---|
Major markers useful in CLL diagnosis | ||
Light chains | Wk | Either weak restricted κ or λ or undetectable expression |
CD19 | Wk/mod | Expression is expected, but less strong than normal B cells |
CD20 | Wk | Expression is expected, but characteristically weak |
CD79A | Wk | Expression is expected, but characteristically weak |
FMC7 | Wk | May be expressed by atypical cases, generally absent |
CD200 | Mod | Characteristically positive in CLL and negative in MCL |
CD5 | Mod | Characteristic of CLL, usually less strong than on T cells |
CD23 | Mod | Characteristic of CLL, although can rarely be weak or absent |
Other markers with diagnostic relevance | ||
CD43 | Mod | Similar to CD200, may be helpful in some cases |
Immunophenotype:
Markers of B-lineage
- Immunoglobulin light chains: expect either light chain restriction with low intensity, or undetectable expression
- CD19 should be detected, but intensity is generally weak in CLL
- CD20 has expected expression in CLL, but intensity is generally weak
- CD79b expression is characteristically weak in CLL
Markers allowing diagnostic distinction
- FMC7 will have low or absent expression, high expression is particularly may suggest alternative disorders such as MCL or MZL
- CD5 should be expressed at moderate intensity in CLL (note also on expressed on mcl and occasionally on other lpd)
- CD23 has expected expression in CLL often at low intensity, generally absent in mcl but variably present on other lpd
- CD200 expressed on most CLL cases as well as other b-lpd but is most frequently absent in mcl optional markers extended panel for atypical cases
- CD43 a pan b-cell marker with expected expression in CLL; frequently but not always absent in mcl
Pitfalls