Complement receptors (C3b, C4b/C3d) unbalance on CLL lymphocytes

A study of lymphocytes bearing C3b, C4b and C3d complement receptor (CRL) was performed on human peripheral blood from 16 healthy donors and 12 patients affected with Chronic Lymphatic Leukemia (CLL). In the latter group a clear rise of C3d CRL was demonstrated, when compared with immunoadherence receptors bearing lymphocytes. However, when compared with controls, also these latter were slightly augmented. Furthermore in CLL under treatment CRL populations showed the same profile as CLL: so it was suggested that the treatment reduced not selectively all the three types of CRL, within the population of sIg bearing lymphocytes. The hypothesis that, in CLL, the proliferating lymphocytes population is chiefly sIg⁺, C3d⁺/C3b^-, C4b^-, but also sIg⁺, C3d⁺/C3b⁺, C4b⁺ is discussed.