الفهرس 
CHRONIC LYMPHOCYTIC LEUKEMIAOnly 14 pages are availabe for public view
 |  | from | 187 |  |  |
| | | from | 187 | | |
Abstract
Chronic lymphocytic leukemia is a neoplastic disease characterized by accumulation of small mature appearing CD5+ B- lymphocytes in blood, bone marrow and lymphoid tissues.
The pathogenesis of B-CLL remains largely unknown, it may be due to defective apoptosis, genetic aberrations or cytokines. Numerous studies aimed at determining reliable prognostic markers capable of predicting the progression and outcome of the disease, such as molecular markers, chromosomal analysis by conventional cytogenics and interphase fluorescence in situ hybridization, CD38 expression, and examination of bone marrow infiltration pattern.
CXCR4 is a chemokine receptor involved in homing of lymphocytes, its ligand chemoattracts lymphocytes to sites of its expression.
The present work aimed to evaluate the relation between CXCR4 chemokine receptor expression in B-CLL patients and its correlation with other prognostic factors and with the clinical outcome of the disease.
Peripheral blood samples were obtained from 30 B-CLL patients; 15 males and 15 females with male to female ratio of 1:1. Ten age and sex matched hematologically normal individuals were chosen as control group .
Both patients and control group were subjected to analysis of CXCR4 expression. CXCR4 was positively expressed in all the 30 cases and non of the controls. The percentage expression of CXCR4 was significantly higher among patients in comparison to controls.
CXCR4 was related to lymphadenopathy and to response to chemotherapy, but it was not related to the stage of the disease according to Rai staging system, the absolute lymphocyte count or the degree of bone marrow infiltration.
The prognosis of patients with high CXCR4 on diagnosis can respond better to chemotherapy than patients with positive CXCR4 but with lower level.
CXCR4 can be used as a marker to detect response of treatment and disease outcome indicating its importance as an independent prognostic factor and its promising target for therapeutic intervention.