Detection of B-cell populations with monotypic light chain expression in cerebrospinal fluid specimens from patients with multiple sclerosis by polychromatic flow cytometry.

BACKGROUND

Flow cytometric immunophenotyping is an established method for the detection of occult leptomeningeal disease in patients with aggressive B-cell non-Hodgkin lymphoma, and is increasingly being used in the evaluation of patients without an established diagnosis of lymphoma who present with signs and/or symptoms referable to the central nervous system. However, the specificity of flow cytometric immunophenotyping in the identification of monoclonal B-cell populations in cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) has not been systematically evaluated.

METHODS

We searched a consecutive series of CSF specimens submitted to our laboratory for polychromatic (8-color) flow cytometric immunophenotyping between June, 2010 and December, 2012 for cases in which a B-cell population with monotypic immunoglobulin light chain expression was detected in patients without clinical or radiographic evidence of lymphoma.

RESULTS

A B-cell population with monotypic light chain expression was identified in CSF specimens from three patients whose subsequent clinical and radiologic evaluation provided no evidence for lymphoma. In all three patients, a diagnosis of multiple sclerosis was ultimately rendered upon completion of the clinical evaluation.

CONCLUSIONS

We conclude that the detection of a B-cell population with monotypic light chain expression in CSF by polychromatic flow cytometry is not diagnostic of occult leptomeningeal involvement by a B-cell non-Hodgkin lymphoma. Moreover, these findings suggest that monotypic B-cell populations detectable by polychromatic flow cytometry may be prevalent in patients with multiple sclerosis, and highlight the importance of clinicopathologic correlation in this application of polychromatic flow cytometry.