Relationship between reticular fiber grade and laboratory, prognostic factors and staging systems in patients with chronic lymphocytic leukemia

Chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) is the most common type of leukemia in adults, characterized by an increased number of lymphocytes in the blood. Elevated lymphocytes, low hemoglobin and thrombocyte levels, and the presence of splenomegaly are the parameters used in staging systems. In our study, the relationship between reticular fiber (RL) grade in bone marrow biopsies of patients with CLL and laboratory, prognostic factors and staging systems was investigated. The prognostic significance of RL grade for CLL patients was investigated. Between January 2012 and December 2021, 225 patients with CLL in our hospital were retrospectively screened. When the RL degree and laboratory parameters were compared, a positive significant correlation was observed between the leukocyte and lymphocyte counts (p<0.05).As the degree of RL increased, the platelet count was significantly lower (p<0.05). CD 79-B negativity rate was found to be higher in RL 0 and RL 1 classes (p<0.05). A statistically significant difference was determined between RL classes and the presence of splenomegaly, and the rate of splenomegaly was found to be higher in RL 2 and RL 3 classes (p<0.05). In conclusion, determining the degree of RL after diagnosis in CLL patients can evaluate the prognosis of the patients; It has been shown that it can be used in addition to staging, flow-cytometry and hemogram parameters. In addition, according to our findings, determining the grade of RL may be routinely recommended after CLL diagnosis. Keywords: Chronic lymphocytic leukemia, reticular fiber, bone marrow biopsy, prognosis