Evaluation of CD160 and CD200 Expression as Differentiating Markers between Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia and Other Mature B-Cell Neoplasms

The present work aimed to investigate the expression of CD160/ CD200 in CLL and other mature B-cell neoplasms (MBN) and their use as an additional diagnostic tool for differentiating CLL from other MBN.

Using flowcytometry, we detected the expression of CD160 &CD200 on B-cells from 30 CLL patients, 30 other MBN patients in addition to 20 controls. CDs160/200 measurements were determined as a percentage expression (≥20% was considered positive) and as a ratio of the mean fluorescence intensities (MFIR) of leukemic cells/controls and were considered positive when the ratios were ≥2 and 20, respectively.

90% and 100% of the CLL group expressed CDs160/200 in comparison to 60% and 63.3% of other MBN (p=0.007, p<0.001) respectively. By MFIR; 96.7% and 50% of our CLL group expressed CDs160/200 in comparison to 76.7% and 30% of other MBN, respectively. CDs160/ 200 were not expressed on the controls. Positive co-expression of CD160 and CD200 was found in 90% of the CLL cases, 60% of HCL patients & only in 40% of B-NHL. However, double negative expression of both markers was found only in 24% of the B-NHL patients.

CD160 with CD200 can be used as additional diagnostic markers to the available routine panel to differentiate between B-CLL & other non-specified B-NHL patients.