The automated monocyte count is independently predictive of overall survival from diagnosis in chronic lymphocytic leukaemia and of survival following first-line chemotherapy.

We conducted an analysis of the effect of monocytosis at diagnosis of CLL on subsequent overall (OS) and treatment-free survival (TFS). Monocyte counts were performed using the Sysmex XE2100 analyser. A monocyte count >0.9 × 10(9)L(-1) at the time of diagnosis was associated with a shortened OS and TFS. Monocytosis at diagnosis was associated with lymphocyte count, deletions of chromosomes 17p and 11q, the extent of IgVH somatic hypermutation and Binet stage. A multivariate analysis model which excluded somatic hypermutation found only monocyte count and age to be independently predictive of OS. The automated monocyte count is predictive of OS and TFS in newly diagnosed CLL.