What Do My CLL Flow Cytometry Results Mean?
You are asking questions about proteins expressed on the CLL cells
that are visualized by a machine called a flow cytometer. CD stands for “cluster of differentiation,” referring to those molecules on
What Do My CLL Flow Cytometry Results Mean?
You are asking questions about proteins expressed on the CLL cells
that are visualized by a machine called a flow cytometer. CD stands for “cluster of differentiation,” referring to those molecules on the cell surface. Based on what is positive or negative, doctors can make estimates about prognostic outcomes and tailor their recommendations for potential treatments.
Most CLL cells will express the protein CD20 on the surface, and absence is considered “atypical.” This is important because one of the major therapies, Rituxan (rituximab), is less likely to work well when CD20 is low or absent. Low CD38 on the CLL cells is considered a good prognostic factor. It is often low when the cells are mutated for a specific antibody gene in the CLL cells. Being mutated for the antibody gene is a good characteristic for CLL.
The IgM of 41 is not really a marker of how aggressive your disease is. It is just a reflection of how immune-suppressed you are, in terms of one specific aspect of your immune system. If the immunoglobulins (such as IgM) are low, a patient is more susceptible to certain infections. Thankfully, these low immunoglobulins can be routinely replaced intravenously (this is called IVIG) if necessary to help reduce the number of infections. Once CLL therapy is successful, immunoglobulin levels may gradually rise back to the normal levels.
I would urge you to take your lab report to your oncologist and ask for a thorough explanation of the findings as well as an overall assessment of prognosis.
Learn more in the Everyday Health Leukemia Center.
Last Updated: 09/29/2008 |
Last Reviewed: 09/29/2008
Leukemia expert Dr. V. K. Gadi
is an assistant member at the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center and an assistant professor at the University of Washington School of Medicine, both in Seattle.