Evaluation of plasma progranulin level in patients with newly diagnosed chronic lymphocytic leukemia and its correlation with clinical stages, hematological parameters, and B2-microglobulin

Abstract: BACKGROUND: With a high degree of intratumoral and interpatient heterogeneity, chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) is a malignant lymphoproliferative illness characterized by the accumulation of defective B lymphocytes in the blood and lymphoid tissues. A multifunctional glycoprotein released by the body, progranulin (PGRN) is linked to inflammation, repair, development, and carcinogenesis. As a prognostic indicator, PGRN was discovered to be elevated in a large number of solid tumors and a small number of hematological malignancies. OBJECTIVES: The objective of the study was to assess the plasma PGRN level in newly diagnosed CLL patients in comparison to healthy controls and to establish a correlation between it with plasma beta-2 microglobulin (β2M), hematological parameters, and disease stage. PATIENTS, MATERIALS, AND METHODS: From October 1, 2022, to March 1, 2023, 50 newly diagnosed CLL patients visited the Baghdad Teaching Hospital on the Medical City campus. This cross-sectional study was conducted. The diagnosis was made using immunophenotyping by flow cytometry and morphology, with a control group of 30 healthy people. PGRN and β2M plasma levels were assessed using an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. RESULTS: A ( P = 0.001) indicated a statistically significant difference in plasma PGRN level between the patients’ median of 5.62 ng/mL and the control groups’ median of 2.37 ng/mL. The Binet staging system revealed that there was a significant difference with regard to absolute lymphocyte count, smudge cell percentage, and plasma β2M ( P = 0.01, 0.001, 0.049), respectively, but there was no statistically significant difference between the stages with regard to age and plasma PGRN level ( P = 0.35, 0.9). With a P = 0.046, PGRN demonstrated a strong positive correlation with β2M. CONCLUSIONS: Compared to healthy controls, patients with CLL showed higher levels of PGRN. The other poor prognostic sign, β2M, and the high PGRN levels at baseline correlate well; however, no difference was found when comparing the levels at later stages of the disease.