Troussard X, Valensi F, Debert C, Maynadie M, Schillinger F, Bonnet P, Macintyre E A, Flandrin G
Laboratoire d'Hématologie, Hôpital Necker-Enfants Malades, Paris, France.
Br J Haematol. 1994 Oct;88(2):275-80. doi: 10.1111/j.1365-2141.1994.tb05018.x.
Persistent lymphocytosis is usually associated with a malignant lymphoproliferative disease (MLPD). We report six female patients presenting a chronic, moderate lymphocytosis of 2-16 years duration with atypical binucleated lymphocytes on peripheral blood smears. Further investigation showed a polyclonal increase in serum IgM and HLA-DR7 phenotype in all patients. The B cells were polyclonal because Southern hybridization of DNA and polymerase chain reaction failed to demonstrate a clonal rearrangement of immunoglobulin heavy chain genes. Peripheral blood examination showed binucleated lymphocytes in a family member of two of the cases; taken together with the association with HLA-DR7 these data suggest a genetic predisposition. The identification of this benign syndrome is important in order to prevent its misdiagnosis as a MLPD.
