Serum immunoglobulin in chronic lymphocytic leukemia

Serum Immunoglobulin levels of IgA, IgM and IgG were measured in 40 cases of chronic lymphocytic leukemia at presentation and prior to the initiation of treatment. All patients were staged according to the Binet clinical staging system. The number of patients showing abnormally low serum immunoglobulin values was found to be significantly increasing as the stage of the disease advances. At least the level of one serum immunoglobulin was reduced in 90% of the cases. IgA deficiency was found to be more frequent than IgG deficiency - The reduction of only one immunoglobulin was found to be more frequent than the reduction of two immunoglobulins in all cases in this study