Hairy cell transformation of a B-cell chronic lymphocytic leukemia: a morphological, cytochemical, phenotypic and molecular study.

ABSTRACT

The normal counterparts of the B cells found in hairy cell leukemia (HCL) are not known. We report here a detailed morphological, cytochemical, immunological and molecular analysis of a patient with B-cell chronic lymphocytic leukemia (B-CLL) who later in the course of his disease developed hairy cell leukemia. We speculate that hairy cell transformation of B-CLL might be related to an in vivo protein kinase C mediated cellular activation of B-CLL cells.