Background: The aim of the study was to establish the role exerted by some soluble factors in B-CLL disease mechanisms.
Materials and methods: Serum levels of sIL2R, sCD23, sICAM-1, IL6 and sCD14 were detected in 47 B-CLL patients. Thirty-seven out of the 47 cases were in advanced/progressive stage, while the remaining 10 patients were defined as smouldering B-CLL. Twenty normal controls provided the reference values. Serum samples of 24 out 37 advanced/progressive cases were measured before and six months after the start of chemotherapy.
Results: The advanced/progressive patients showed significantly higher levels of sIL2R, sICAM-1 and sCD23 as compared to normal subjects. Furthermore, sIL2R, sICAM-1 and IL6 values were significantly higher in advanced/progressive B-CLL than in smouldering B-CLL patients. A statistically significant difference was found between smouldering B-CLL and controls for sCD14 only. sIL2R and sICAM-1 levels directly correlated with total tumor mass (TTM) score, sCD23 with both TTM score and lymphocytosis, and sCD14 with IgG serum values. sIL2R and sCD23 levels lowered significantly after chemotherapy, but only sCD23 and TTM variations after chemotherapy were closely correlated.
Conclusions: sCD23 may be considered the only indicator of tumor mass, while the other soluble factors can be released through different mechanisms. In particular, sICAM-1 seems to correlate with the ability of the tumor to spread, while the sCD14 increase could indicate a role for this soluble factor in preventing infections in B-CLL patients.