Resumen

SANCHEZ SEGURA, Miriam de la C; MARSAN SUAREZ, Vianed; SOCARRAS FERRER, Bertha B  y  MARTINEZ MACHADO, Mercedes. Lymphoid leukemia. Inmiune and molecular aspects. Rev Cubana Hematol Inmunol Hemoter [online]. 2004, vol.20, n.1. ISSN 0864-0289.

Chronic B-lymphocytic leukemia represents the most common human leukemia in western countries and it is characterized by the proliferation and accumulation of monoclonal CD+5 B-lymphocytes in peripheral blood, bone marrow, ganglia lymphatica and related organs, that morphologically have a mature appearance, but are biologically inmature. The course of the disease is determined by a deep immune disregulation with progressive hypogammaglobulinemia and a disruption in the interaction between B and T cells, as well as by autoimmunity phenomena. It is the prototype of malignant human disease that involves defects of the programmed cell death or apoptosis. In this disease, the chromosomal translocations are rare and the most frequent genetic aberrations are 13q14,11q deletions and trisomy 12. In spite of the advances attained in the mollecular techniques, it has not been possible to identify an oncogene associated with the pathogenesis of this type of leukemia, but the cytogenetic and mollecular findings provide important diagnostic, clinical and prognostic information that can contribute to make decisions regarding the treatment and follow-up of the patients with this disease

Palabras clave : chronic B-ymphocytic leukemia; immune deregulation; autoimmunity; apoptosis; chromosomal aberrations; somatic mutation.