Factors of an unfavorable prognosis in patients with B-cell chronic lymphoid leukemia: a retrospective analysis of 206 cases

• Published in: Terapevtic̆eskii arhiv Vol. 75; no. 7; p. 38
• Main Authors: Nikitin, E A, Lorie, Iu Iu, Melikian, A L, Samoĭlova, R S, Bulycheva, T I, Obukhova, T N, Kaplanskaia, I B, Doronin, V A, Kolosova, L Iu, Goriacheva, S R
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: Russian
• Published: Russia (Federation) 2003
• Subjects: Adolescent; Adult; Age Factors; Aged; Aged, 80 and over; Biomarkers, Tumor - analysis; Bone Marrow - pathology; Disease-Free Survival; Female; Humans; Immunophenotyping; Leukemia, Lymphocytic, Chronic, B-Cell - diagnosis; Leukemia, Lymphocytic, Chronic, B-Cell - mortality; Leukemia, Lymphocytic, Chronic, B-Cell - pathology; Male; Middle Aged; Neoplasm Staging; Prognosis; Retrospective Studies
• ISSN: 0040-3660

To assess factors of an unfavourable prognosis in a group of intermediate risk of B-cell chronic lymphoid leukemia (BCCLL).
206 BCCLL patients (mean age 55.5 years, male/female = 1.66) entered the study conducted by Hematological Research Center in 1992-2000.
Nine patients under 35 years of age did not survive 5 years except one female who achieved a complete remission on fludarabin. The type of bone marrow infiltration (diffuse vs interstitial and nodular), the time of lymphocyte count doubling (under or over 12 months) discriminate the patients by prognosis in the group of intermediate risk: medians of overall survival 65 months vs 148 months and 72 vs 133 months, respectively (p < 0.005 for both curves, log-rank criterion). Survival medians in groups with low (< 50% cells) and high (> 50% cells) expression of CD38+ cells in the group of intermediate BCCLL risk comprise 55 and 106 months (p = 0.005). The type of bone marrow infiltration and time of doubling of lymphocyte count overlap: > 70% patients with a diffuse type of bone marrow infiltration have the time of doubling under 12 months and vice versa while expression of CD38 do not overlap with these values. Combination of two signs (type of bone marrow infiltration and CD38 expression or time og lymphocyte count doubling and CD38 expression) allows more precise identification of prognostically unfavourable groups. Medians of survival for combination of the first two signs (two positive against two negative) comprise 51 months vs 169 months (p < 0.0001), for combination of the latter two signs 55 months vs 106 months was not reached (p < 0.001). Although most patients with a tumor form of BCCLL are referred to stage II, the prognosis in this form is much worse than in stage II, survival medians are 44 and 69 months, respectively (p < 0.05). A mutation status of the genes of a variable region of immunoglobulins enable identification of the group of patients with a relatively benign course of BCCLL (survival medians 61 and 289 months, p < 0.0001).
In patients under 35 years of age BCCLL runs unfavourably and seems to require intensive polychemotherapy. Usage of a combination of the signs (CD38, time of doubling of lymphocyte count and type of bone marrow infiltration) is a simple and reliable method of identification of prognostically different categories of patients in the group of an intermediate BCCLL risk. Prognosis in patients with a tumor form of BCCLL is unfavourable: medians of survival in patients with a tumor form and stage III-IV are comparable. Mutational status of the genes of immunoglobulin variable region may serve a marker of a long-term prognosis.