[Structural and functional changes of bone marrow stroma in chronic lymphocytic leukemia].

Marrow stroma was investigated in 20 patients with chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL). Such morphological and functional features as adipose tissue reduction, sinusoid pattern obliteration and increased number of reticular cells were identified as typical of marrow stroma in such patients. Foci of fibrosis, nuclear bodies in stromal cell nuclei and heightened proliferation of stromal precursors in organ cultures were recorded in the subendostal and perivascular areas in 60% of patients with diffuse lesions of bone marrow. Bone marrow stroma was shown to suffer morphological and functional changes which were particularly pronounced in diffuse lesions of the bone marrow. Such changes may be traced both to the malignant clone of lymphoid cells and stromal lesions.