Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia

A lymphocyte has mainly one purpose in the blood system is to provide immunity to certain infections. Lymphocytes make of about 25-33 percent of all white cells in your body.  They are found in the circulatory system and concentrated in lymphoid tissue areas such as spleen, tonsil and lymph nodes.  These places are where the immune response will occur.  B lymphocytes and T lymphocytes are the two primary types. B cells differentiates into a plasma cell which will secrete an immunoglobulin.  B cells mature in the bone marrow,but T cells mature in the thymus.  T cells multiply quickly and become cytotoxic cells or memory cells.  They are used in Cancer treatment to destroy cancer cells.

 

Chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) is a type of cancer of the blood and bone marrow — the spongy tissue inside bones where blood cells are made.
The term "chronic" in chronic lymphocytic leukemia comes from the fact that it typically progresses more slowly than other types of leukemia. The term "lymphocytic" in chronic lymphocytic leukemia comes from the cells affected by the disease — a group of white blood cells called lymphocytes, which help your body fight infection.
Chronic lymphocytic leukemia most commonly affects older adults. Chronic lymphocytic leukemia treatments can help control the disease.

You will notice that in the picture above is what CLL looks like under a microscope.  The cells are larger than normal.  The nucleus,purplish color in center, is not as concentrated.

Lymphocytes originate in the bone marrow, develop in the lymph nodes, and normally fight infection by producing antibodies. In CLL, the DNA of a B cell is damaged, so that it cannot produce antibodies.^{[citation needed]} Additionally, B cells grow out of control and accumulate in the bone marrow and blood, where they crowd out healthy blood cells. CLL is a stage of small lymphocytic lymphoma (SLL), a type of B-cell lymphoma, which presents primarily in the lymph nodes.^[1] CLL and SLL are considered the same underlying disease, just with different appearances.

• Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia at American Cancer Society