NLCs express CD14.

Whole blood mononuclear cells from a patient with CLL were cultured for 14 days in a chambered microscope slide. (A) A very large, round NLC is seen surrounded by smaller leukemia B cells by phase contrast microscopy. (B) The same cell is seen by immunofluorescence microscopy to bind FITC-labeled mAbs specific for CD14 (green fluorescence), whereas the small leukemia B cells bind PE-labeled mAb specific for CD19 (red fluorescence). The nuclei of the leukemia B cells have the blue fluorescence of Hoechst 33258. The Hoechst staining of the NLC nucleus is less evident because of the confocal plane in which the photograph was made.