Serum immunoglobulins and lymphocyte subsets in chronic lymphocytic leukemia

The concentrations of serum immunoglobulins were correlated to the stage of disease and the proportions of peripheral blood lymphocyte subsets in 25 untreated patients with B-cell chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL). Diminished levels of at least one serum immunoglobulin were present in 77% of all patients with CLL and 73% of patients with Stage 0 disease. The mean concentration of IgG, IgM, and IgA decreased with advancing stage of CLL. The percentages of total T, T-helper (TH), and T-suppressor (TS) cells in the peripheral blood were less in patients with CLL than in healthy persons, but the absolute concentrations of total T, TH, and TS cells were greater in patients with CLL than controls (P less than 0.02). The absolute number of B-cells (P less than 0.01) and null cells (P less than 0.001) was also increased in patients with CLL, particularly those patients in advanced stages of CLL. These findings suggest that the hypogammaglobulinemia associated with CLL first occurs during the earliest stage of disease and may be related to the alterations in the proportion of peripheral blood lymphocytes.