B-cell prolymphocytic leukemia is a more aggressive, but still treatable, form of leukemia

Leukemia

Leukemia or leukaemia is a type of cancer of the blood or bone marrow characterized by an abnormal increase of immature white blood cells called "blasts". Leukemia is a broad term covering a spectrum of diseases...

. The malignant B cells are larger than average. The name is commonly abbreviated B-PLL.

It can involve deletions from chromosome 11 and chromosome 13.

It has been suggested that some cases may represent a variant of mantle cell lymphoma

Mantle cell lymphoma

Mantle cell lymphoma is one of the rarest of the non-Hodgkin's lymphomas , comprising about 6% of NHL cases. There are only about 15,000 patients presently in the U.S. While it is difficult to treat and seldom considered cured, investigations into better treatments are actively pursued worldwide...

.

It has a relatively poor prognosis.

Markers

A case has been described as CD20

CD20

B-lymphocyte antigen CD20 or CD20 is an activated-glycosylated phosphoprotein expressed on the surface of all B-cells beginning at the pro-B phase and progressively increasing in concentration until maturity....

+, CD22

CD22

CD22 or cluster of differentiation-22, is a molecule belonging to the SIGLEC family of lectins. It is found on the surface of mature B cells and to a lesser extent on some immature B cells...

+, and CD5

CD5 (protein)

CD5 is a cluster of differentiation found on a subset of IgM-secreting B cells called B-1 cells, and also on T cells. B-1 cells have limited diversity of their B-cell receptor due to their lack of the enzyme terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase and are potentially self-reactive...

-.

It can also be CD5+.

Another case was described as CD45

CD45

Protein tyrosine phosphatase, receptor type, C also known as PTPRC is an enzyme that, in humans, is encoded by the PTPRC gene. PTPRC is also known as CD45 antigen , which was originally called leukocyte common antigen.- Function :The protein encoded by this gene is a member of the protein tyrosine...

+, CD19

CD19

B-lymphocyte antigen CD19 also known as CD19 , is a protein that in humans is encoded by the CD19 gene.- Function :...

+, CD20

CD20

B-lymphocyte antigen CD20 or CD20 is an activated-glycosylated phosphoprotein expressed on the surface of all B-cells beginning at the pro-B phase and progressively increasing in concentration until maturity....

+, CD5

CD5

CD5 or CD-5 may be:* Child development-5, for five-year old children, a more developmentally appropriate acronym for kindergarten* cluster of differentiation 5 molecule, type I transmembrane protein* compact disc, 5-inch CD, usually music CD...

+, HLA-DR+, CD10-, CD23

CD23

CD23, also known as Fc epsilon RII, or FcεRII, is the "low-affinity" receptor for IgE, an antibody isotype involved in allergy and resistance to parasites, and is important in regulation of IgE levels. Unlike many of the antibody receptors, CD23 is a C-type lectin...

+/-, CD38

CD38

CD38 , also known as cyclic ADP ribose hydrolase is a glycoprotein found on the surface of many immune cells , including CD4+, CD8+, B and natural killer cells...

+ and FMC7-.