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Year:
2001
| Volume: 9
| Issue: 2
| Pages: 79-82
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Original Article |
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PROGNOSTIC SIGNIFICANCE OF SERUM IMMUNOGLOBULINS IN B-CHRONIC LYMPHOCYTIC LEUKEMIAN
Natasa COLOVIC, Andrija BOGDANOVIC, Vesna MARTINOVIC-CEMERIKIC, Gradimir JANKOVIC |
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DOI:
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Abstract: |
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Background: Chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) is a chronic lymphoproliferative disorder of mature appearing B lymphocytes which are at the intermediate stage of dif- ferentiation. The disease is frequently accompanied by low levels of gamma globulins and different classes of immunoglobulins. In this study we analyzed the levels of immunoglobulins in different stages of B-CLL and its prognostic implication on sur- vival.
Methods: Between November 1999 and December 2000, 66 patients with CLL were treated at the Institute of Hematology. In this group of patients, 36 were males and 30 females, with median age of 61.2 year (range 37-75 years).Serum gammaglobulin level was quantitated by electrophoresis on cellulose acetate and photodensitometry. Serum immunoglobulins were quantitated by radial immunodiffusion using Immunoplates (Behring Institute, FRG).
Results: According to Binet staging system 26( 39.2%) were in stage A, 15 (22.6%) stage B and 25 (37.8%) patients in stage C. Low levels of immunoglobulins were found: IgG in 14 patients (21.2%), IgA in 21 (31%) and IgM in 16 patients (24.2%). At least one immunoglobulin was decreased in 77.2% patients.
Conclusion: The prolonged clinical course of B-CLL is usually complicated by hypogammaglobulinemia. Reduced survival was significantly influenced by low level of IgA (p=0.07). The intravenous administration of immunoglobulins could signifantly contribute to the reduction of infection frequency and improvement in the quality of life. |
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Key words:
Leukemia, B-cell, Chronic; Immunoglobulins; Tumor Markers, Biological |
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