B-cell chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL), a low-grade malignancy consisting of CD5(+), CD23(+), and CD43(+) small B lymphocytes, is the most frequent leukemia in the western world.
In conjunction with other diagnostic determinants, immunophenotypic analysis of differentially expressed cell surface markers, such as CD5, CD20, CD23 and FMC7, is useful in the subclassification of lymphomas and leukemias arising from the B-cell lineage.
Based on morphology, of the CD23, 16 (70%) were diagnosed with mantle cell leukemia (MCL) was diagnosed in 16 (70%) CD23- patients, 3 (13%) with splenic marginal-zone leukemia, 3 (13%) with prolymphocytic leukemia (PLL) or PLL/CLL, and 1 (4%) with CLL.