[The heterogeneity of the immunological phenotype and of the proliferative characteristics of the lymphoid cells in chronic B-cell lympholeukemia].

Patients with stage III and IV (according to Rai) B-cell chronic lymphocytic leukemia (B-CLL) were shown to differ in the expression of markers such as HLA-DR, RFB-1, CD-18, CD-21, activated B-lymphocyte antigen and B-lymphocyte differentiation antigen on mononuclear fraction cells (MFC). Also, differences in the level of MFC proliferation activity during a 72-hour culturing in vitro were established. Some patients with B-CLL showed an increase in lymphocyte proliferation activity in response to treatment with growth factor recombinant interleukin (IL-2) alone and in combination with phytohemagglutinin and phorbol ester. Those changes most often occurred in cases with decreased spontaneous proliferation in culture.