ABSTRACT
Chronic lymphocytic leukemia represents a disease in which immune deficiency is usually associated with monoclonal expansion of B-lymphocytes. It is generally agreed that patients with leukemia may have immunologic abnormalities since these patients are subject to increased incidence of infection. In addition, the effect of extrinsic leukemic serum factors on certain immunological parameters has been investigated by observing both the effect of leukemic serum on normal cells and the differential response of cells from leukemic patients in normal serum as opposed to autologous or allogeneic leukemic serum. Leukocytes taken from all patients can exhibit a diminished capacity to mobilize to an injured area when the leukemic disease is in a state of relapse. Several investigators reported that there is no deficiency in the delayed-type hypersensitivity response of children with all. Methodological differences regards the serum percentage used to demonstrate suppression in the lymphocyte transformation assay.
