Rapidly progressive renal failure due to chronic lymphocytic leukemia - Response to chlorambucil

Case report: Acute kidney injury as the initial manifestation of chronic lymphocytic leukemia/small lymphocytic lymphoma

Chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) is a lymphoproliferative disorder often diagnosed after incidental finding of leukocytosis. Renal involvement is usually clinically silent. Symptomatic renal impairment due to CLL/small lymphocytic lymphoma (SLL) cell infiltration in the kidney tissue is uncommon, and acute kidney injury (AKI) as a presenting feature is rare. In this case report, we describe the case of a patient with AKI caused by CLL/SLL infiltration as a presenting feature. Our report highlights the possibility of kidney injury as the first evident symptom of CLL/SLL. Kidney biopsy is the mainstay in these cases in order to establish a diagnosis. Treatment with zanubrutinib resulted in improved kidney function.

Cryoglobulinemia in a patient with chronic lymphocytic leukemia - A case report and review of literature of renal involvement in CLL

The incidence of glomerulonephritis, as a manifestation of chronic lymphocytic leukemia/small lymphocytic lymphoma (CLL/SLL), has always been considered low. Though renal infiltration is usually detected at post-mortem, it does not often interfere with kidney function [1]. Though immunoglobulin (Ig) levels in most CLL patients are subnormal, small monoclonal Ig peaks are occasionally detected in serum. They were present in a number of reported CLL nephropathy patients, and not all were cryoglobulins; serum and glomerular staining were concordant for Ig type [2,3,4]. Myeloma, which secretes monoclonal light chains, causes nephropathy in 25% of patients. But the little presumably secreted by small plasma cell clones, without myeloma, may also be nephrotoxic. The same is true of the low secretory CLL cells, which may occasionally be associated with cryoglobulins and other nephrotoxic Igs [5]. We report a patient with early stage CLL (Rai stage 0) with cryoglobulins, which led to membranoproliferative glomerulonephritis (MPGN), and death. We located reports of 51 patients with CLL-associated nephrotic syndrome or nephropathy, mostly from MPGN related to local Ig deposits. In those patients screened for cryoglobulins, about half tested positive. Many were early stage cases, where MPGN developed long after CLL presentation, and responded to its treatment. As early diagnosis and treatment CLL-related nephropathy may be curative, we propose a prospective study to determine the incidence of hyperalbuminuria development after presentation.

Acute Renal Failure due to Leukaemic Infiltration in Chronic Lymphocytic Leukaemia

Chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) is a malignancy characterized by clonal proliferation and accumulation of B lymphocytes. Although leukaemic infiltration of the kidney is well recognized in CLL, acute renal failure (ARF) due to leukaemic infiltration is extremely rare. Here we present a case of ARF as the initial manifestation of CLL. The diagnosis was made by a kidney biopsy. Treatment with cyclophosphamide and prednisolone resulted in a completely improved renal function.

Beetroot-Carrot Juice Intake either Alone or in Combination with Antileukemic Drug 'Chlorambucil' As A Potential Treatment for Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia

Chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) is one of the chronic lymphoproliferative disorders (lymphoid neoplasms). It is characterized by a progressive accumulation of functionally incompetent lymphocytes. Patients with leukemia often seek unconventional treatments not prescribed by hematologist in order to improve their cancer treatment outcome or to manage symptoms. In the present report, a 76-year-old patient was diagnosed with B-cell chronic lymphocytic leukemia (B-CLL). Beetroot-carrot juice is used as a complementary and or/alternative therapy used in conjunction with conventional leukemic treatment (chlorambucil) that has been a standard first-line chemotherapeutic agent for patients with CLL and known to have serious and undesirable side-effects. After one month and 15 days of administration of beetroot-carrot juice therapy, the patient had improved appetite, a sense of general well-being and increased vigor daily activities. Furthermore, beetroot-carrot juice was used as an adjuvant to chlorambucil resulted in a substantial reduction in leukocytes and lymphocytes count in peripheral blood and improvement in the relevant biochemical parameters. Beetroot-carrot juice can be used as an effective treatment for CLL alone or in combination with chlorambucil when taken orally with regular diet on daily basis.