ROLUL LIMFOCITOZEI MONOCLONALE B ÎN ETIOLOGIA LEUCEMIEI LIMFATICE CRONICE.

Chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) is among the most common types of leukemia. Recent studies suggest that a population of clonal B cells with the phenotype of CLL, can be detected in the general population, a condition now designated monoclonal B-cell lymphocytosis (MBL). Although all cases of CLL appear to be preceded by MBL, the majority of individuals with MBL will not develop a hematologic malignancy. The biologic characteristics and clinical implications of MBL appear to differ based on whether it is identified during the diagnostic evaluation of lymphocytosis or incidentally discovered through screening of individuals with normal lymphocyte counts as part of research studies using highly sensitive detection methods. In this paper, we provide a state of the art review on the nomenclature, diagnosis and the role of MBL in the etiology of CLL [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]