@article{3081227,
    title = "The prognostic role of CD5 negativity in B-cell chronic lymphocytic
leukaemia: a case-control study",
    author = "Efstathiou, S and Tsioulos, D and Zacharos, I and Tsiakou, A and and Mastorantonakis, S and Salgami, E and Katirtzoglou, N and Psarra, A and and Roussou, P",
    journal = "Haematologia",
    year = "2002",
    volume = "32",
    number = "3",
    pages = "209-218",
    publisher = "VSP BV",
    issn = "0017-6559, 1568-5594",
    doi = "10.1163/15685590260461020",
    keywords = "CD5; chronic lymphocytic leukaemia; prognosis",
    abstract = "B cells in chronic lymphocytic leukaemia (CLL) usually express the CD5
antigen, which appears to participate in the pathogenesis of autoimmune
phenomena. However, 7-20% of B-CLL patients are CD5(-). The aim of this
study was to assess whether CD5 expression could be used as a
discriminating factor for two subgroups of B-CLL. Twenty-nine CD5(-)
B-CLL patients were compared in terms of clinico-biological
characteristics and survival with a control group of 29 sex and
age-matched, consecutive CD5(+) B-CLL subjects. B-CLL was considered to
be CD5(-) when less than 5% of mononuclear cells expressed CD5 after
subtraction of the number of T cells. Splenomegaly, lymph node
involvement, and haemolytic anemia were found in CD5(+) patients in a
significantly higher proportion than in their CD5- counterparts, who
presented with an earlier stage of disease. CD5- patients had a median
survival of 97.2 (22-130) months, exceeding CD5(+) subjects
significantly [84.0 (19-120) months, p = 0.0025]. CD5(-) patients
seemingly present with milder disease and have a favourable prognosis
compared with the vast majority of B-CLL patients who express CD5."
}