#IDIBELLseminars: Monoclonal B-cell lymphocytosis in the general population: clinical impact

Chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) is preceded by a pre-malignant state, termed monoclonal B-cell lymphocytosis; MBL. It has been shown that (low count) MBL (<500 cells/uL; MBLlo) is highly prevalent in the general population (2%-17% of adults >40y), its frequency depending on age and the sensitivity of the screening test. Despite MBLlo is an apparently stable condition at 10 years (as progression to high-count MBL rarely occurs), previous studies have shown that it is associated with an altered immune cell profile in blood, linked to a immunodeficiency state. Epidemiological and clinical data suggest that the presence of small circulating B-cell clones with a CLL-like phenotype has clinical impact, as MBLlo subjects show a significantly shorter life-expectancy (due to increased infection- and solid tumour-related death rates) and suffer more frequently from severe infections. Altogether, these findings support that MBLlo is a risk factor for developing more severe infections.

Hosted by Delphine Casabonne – Infections and cancer group

Julia Almeida is Full Professor of Immunology at the University of Salamanca, Spain, and the current President of the Iberian Society for Cytometry. Her research is focused on “Immunology and Cancer” in the field of B- and T/NK chronic lymphoproliferative disorders, from the onto-pathogenesis to clinical settings. Specific research activities: i) identification of mechanisms involved in the transformation/evolution of reactive to clonal and malignant conditions (i.e. the early stages of cancer), ii) phenotypic, genetic/molecular and functional characterization of these cells and iii) its translation to diagnosis, classification and treatment monitoring; iv) biological characterization of their normal (B- and T/NK-) cell counterparts; and v) role of the immune system in the control and progression of the disease, with special focus on hematological malignancies.