Publication Date:
2004-11-16
Description:
Heterogeneous clinical behavior of B-CLL makes difficult for physicians to identify which pts experience a slowly progressive clinical course and which ones may benefit from an early and/or more aggressive treatment. The development of interphase FISH techniques allowed to detect selected chromosome abnormalities in non-dividing cells. In 325 CLL pts, multivariate analysis identified 17p- and 11q- abnormalities as variables associated with shorter overall survival (OS) (Dohner, 2000). Moreover, the lack of IgVH gene mutation has been shown to predict a rapid disease progression (DP) and an inferior OS (Damle, Hamblin, 1999). B-CLL cells that use non-mutated IgVH genes express ZAP-70 protein, associated with an enhanced B cell receptor signaling and with an early DP risk. The aims of our study were: 1) to determine progression-free survival (PFS) and OS upon cytogenetic groups and ZAP-70 expression; 2) whether ZAP-70 could predict varied outcome within interphase cytogenetic groups; and 3) whether ZAP-70 and interphase cytogenetic groups were independent prognostic factors. We investigated 216 pts, median age 64 years, 69 pts belonging to low Rai stage, 140 to intermediate stage and 7 to high stage. To date, we have completed analysis of interphase cytogenetics in 137 pts, and ZAP-70 was quantified in 216 pts by a multicolor flow cytometric method using a cut-off value of 20%. With regard to cytogenetic groups, 73 (53.3%) pts had a normal karyotype and 35 (25.5%) pts had 13q-. Twenty-nine (21.2%) pts with trisomy 12, 17p- and 11q- were pooled together and defined as “poor-risk” cytogenetic subset. ZAP-70+ pts were 81/216 (37.5%) and there was a significant correlation between high or low ZAP-70 expression and Ig V gene mutational status (P
Print ISSN:
0006-4971
Electronic ISSN:
1528-0020
Topics:
Biology
,
Medicine
