Positive CD71 expression at diagnosis was significantly associated with bad clinical and laboratory prognostic factors as lymphadenopathy, higher white blood cell count, higher hemoglobin level, lower platelets count, and higher blast cells in peripheral blood and bone marrow and higher lactate dehydrogenase levels'.
Therefore, in patients with CLL/SLL and rapidly enlarging asymmetric lymphadenopathy and/or extranodal tumors, we strongly advise FCM of fine-needle aspiration biopsy (FNAB) material, including CD62L, CD52, and CD71 analysis as well as assessment of karyotype and at least MYC abnormalities by FISH of the same FNAB material.