Expression patterns of CD200 and CD160 in leukemic B-cell chronic lymphoproliferative disorders and their potential value in the differential diagnosis
Expression patterns of CD200 and CD160 in leukemic B-cell chronic lymphoproliferative disorders and their potential value in the differential diagnosis
ATEFE RAHMATI,1MOHAMMADHADI SADEGHIAN,2,*HOSSEIN AYATOLLAHI,3FIROOZE SOLEIMANI,4
1. Department of Hematology and Blood Banking, Faculty of Medicine, Mashhad University of Medical Sciences, Mashhad, Iran. 2. Department of Hematology and Blood Banking, Faculty of Medicine, Mashhad University of Medical Sciences, Mashhad, Iran. 3. Cancer Molecular Pathology Research Center, Faculty of Medicine, Mashhad University of Medical Sciences, Mashhad, Iran. 4. Department of Medical Biotechnology and Nanotechnology, Faculty of Medicine, Mashhad University of Medical Sciences, Mashhad, Iran.
Introduction: Chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) is usually diagnosed based on morphology and immunophenotype, and usually, it presents no problems from a diagnostic standpoint. However, in some patients, overlapping immunophenotypes or variations in the expression or intensity of expression of scoring markers do exist and raising the diagnostic uncertainty. The present study aimed to investigate the diagnostic benefit of measuring CD200 and CD160 markers in chronic B-cell lymphoproliferative disorders (B-CLPDs).
Methods: Using flow cytometry analysis, the expression of CD200 and CD160 was investigated in 64 consecutive patients with B-cell chronic lymphoproliferative disorders (B-CLPD) (82 CLL, 42 other B-cell neoplasms) in addition to 11 controls. CD200 and CD160 were analyzed as a percentage of positive cells (≥20%) and the ratio between the mean fluorescence intensities (MFIs) of CLL B-cells/ negative lymphocyte populations and were considered positive when the ratios were ≥2 and 20, respectively.
Results: Ninety-five and forty-one percent of CLL patients expressed CD200 and CD160 compared to five and ten percent of other adult B-cell neoplasms (p<0.001, p=0.004). Concurrent expression of both markers was observed in more than 40% of CLL patients and only in the other five percent of adult B-cell neoplasms. Lack of expression of both markers occurred in 5% of CLL patients but 67% of other adult B-cell neoplasms. The results of this study showed that CD200 and CD160 expression in patients with CLL were upregulated.
Conclusion: Altogether, evaluation of CD200 and CD160 expression pattern can be valuable, albeit not specific, in the differential diagnosis of atypical CLL from other B-CLPD in the absence of further explorations.