Antigen stimulation in the development of chronic lymphocytic leukemia

Chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) is the most common leukemia in the western world. The mechanism the mechanism of the disease development still remains unrevealed. In recent years new unique molecular and clinical features of CLL have emerged leading to a unified hypothesis of CLL origin. Major progress in understanding CLL biology was made after identification of mutational status of immunoglobulin variable heavy chain (IGHV) genes, which also improved prediction of patients' clinical outcome. Preferential usage of IGHV genes has led to recognition of CLL-specific B cell receptors (BCRs), called stereotyped BCRs. Taken together, these data point to antigen stimulation of CLL progenitor cells. Studies on CLL antibody reactivity have shown affinity to molecular motifs on apoptotic cells and bacterial cell structures, supporting the current hypothesis of the CLL pathomechanism. In this paper we have summarized information available to date regarding current theory of cellular origin and pathology of CLL.