Leuk Lymphoma. 2003 Jan; 44(1): 193-6.

Aberrant expression of the CD8 antigen in B cell chronic lymphocytic leukaemia.

Espinosa A, Bjork P, Magnussen K, Moen T, Sorum Y.

Department of Immunology and Transfusion Medicine, University Hospital of Trondheim, St Olavs Hospital, Olav Kyrresg, Trondheim 17, 7006, Norway. aurora.espinosa@rit.no

We report a case of aberrant expression of the T cell antigen CD8 in a patient with B cell chronic lymphocytic leukaemia (B-CLL). A 62-year-old Caucasian female with several enlarged lymph nodes and suspected to have B-CLL was referred to our laboratory for routine immunophenotyping. Peripheral blood cell count showed moderate leucocytosis without other abnormalities. The dual-colour flow cytometric analysis showed a typical B-CLL phenotype (CD45+, CD19+, kappa+, lambda-, CD20+, CD23+, IgM+, HLA-DR+, CD5/CD19+, CD3-). In addition, aberrant expression of the T cell marker CD8 was found, present on approximately 64% of the leukemic cells. This is a rare even, the significance and nature of this aberration has not yet been fully determined. In this case, our patient had a rapid response to treatment with a remarkable reduction in the number of leukemic cells only two weeks after beginning treatment.

PMID: 12691163 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]