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Immunologic aspects of monoclonal B-cell lymphocytosis

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Abstract

Monoclonal B-cell lymphocytosis (MBL) is a preclinical hematologic condition wherein small numbers of clonal B cells can be detected in the blood of otherwise healthy individuals. Most MBL have a surface immunophenotype nearly identical to that of chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL), though other phenotypes can also be identified. MBL has been shown to be a precursor state for CLL, but most MBL clones are quite small and apparently have minimal potential to progress of CLL or other B-cell lymphoproliferative disorder (B-LPD). The investigation of MBL as a precursor state for CLL will likely lead to important insights into mechanisms of disease pathogenesis. The review will cover clinical and translational aspects of MBL, with a particular emphasis on the prevalence of MBL; the relationship between MBL, CLL, and other B-LPDs; and the capacity of MBL to modulate the normal B- and T-cell compartments.

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Acknowledgments

MC Lanasa is a fellow of the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society of America. This research was supported by the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society of America, the Bernstein Fund for Leukemia Research, the VA Research Service, and a grant from the National Institutes of Health (NCI R03 CA128030). Flow Cytometry was performed in the Duke Human Vaccine Institute Flow Cytometry Core Facility that is supported by the National Institutes of Health award AI-51445. The Genetic Epidemiology of CLL (GEC) Consortium is supported by NIH grants CA118444 and CA92153; the Intramural Research Program of the NIH, National Cancer Institute; and CLL Research Consortium. Additional support was provided by 1 UL1 RR024150 from the National Center for Research Resources (NCRR), a component of NIH and the NIH Roadmap for Medical Research, the Veterans Affairs Research Service, and CA15083 from the National Cancer Institute. The GEC member institutions are The Mayo Clinic (lead site; PI: Susan Slager, Ph.D.), Duke University, The M.D. Anderson Cancer Center, The National Cancer Institute, The University of California at San Diego, The University of Minnesota, and The University of Utah.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Medicine, Duke University Medical Center, Box 3872, 1 Trent Drive, Morris Building Room 25153, Durham, NC, 27710, USA

    Mark C. Lanasa

  2. Department of Medicine, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, NC, 27710, USA

    J. Brice Weinberg

  3. Department of Immunology, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, NC, 27710, USA

    J. Brice Weinberg

  4. Durham Veterans Affairs Medical Center, E1003 DVAMC, 508 Fulton Street, Durham, NC, 27705, USA

    J. Brice Weinberg

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  1. Mark C. Lanasa
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Correspondence to Mark C. Lanasa.

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Lanasa, M.C., Weinberg, J.B. Immunologic aspects of monoclonal B-cell lymphocytosis. Immunol Res 49, 269–280 (2011). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12026-010-8188-4

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