Expression patterns of CD200 and CD148 in leukemic B-cell chronic lymphoproliferative disorders and their potential value in differential diagnosis

Different combinations of biomarkers analyzed by flow cytometry are critical for the accurate diagnosis of leukemic B-cell chronic lymphoproliferative disorders (B-CLPDs). We investigated CD200 and CD148 expression patterns of blood or bone marrow from 374 cases of B-CLPD by multicolor flow cytometry. Our results showed that CD200 and CD148 expression patterns distinguished different types of B-CLPD. CD200 mean fluorescence intensity (MFI) or CD148 MFI had a high sensitivity and specificity to differentiate mantle cell lymphoma (MCL) from chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL). Furthermore, CD148 MFI/CD200 MFI ratio > 4.79 produced a specificity of 94.46% (95% confidence interval [CI]: 91.04–96.87%) and a sensitivity of 100% (95% CI: 88.78–100.0%) in establishing the diagnosis of MCL in differential diagnosis between MCL and CLL. We therefore conclude that the combination of CD200 and CD148 may have a potential differential diagnostic value in leukemic B-CLPDs, especially between CLL and MCL.