This is a collaborative project between

Hematology Research Center of Russia, Moscow

Molecular and Microbiology Department, College of Science,George Mason University, Fairfax, VA

This study has been published in Leuk Lymphoma. 2007 May;48(5):912-22.

This project was performed in frame of NIH R1R15CA113331-01 “KCNRG gene as candidate tumor suppressor for CLL and MM” (2005-2009), RFFI 04-04-08154-ofi, 06-04-049707-a, and 05-04-49846-a.

B-cell chronic lymphocyte leukemia (B-CLL) accounts for ~30% of all leukemias in the Western world and has so far been treated with variable success (Byrd et al., 2004). Mutational status of immunoglobulin variable region genes (VH-genes) is known as the strongest predictor of long term prognosis in B-CLL. However, applications in the routine clinical practice are time consuming, and therefore some other predictions are required. In this study, we have compared prognostic values of real time PCR quantification of the expression levels of four genes previously shown to be differentially expressed in V(H)-unmutated and mutated B-CLL subtypes: ZAP-70, ZBTB20, DMD and LPL. The study included 134 B-CLL patients. Expression levels of LPL and DMD genes were significantly correlated to mutational status, while expression levels of of ZAP-70 gene correlated only in CD19+ selected cases (N = 40). No correlation was observed for ZBTB20 gene. Expression levels of LPL and DMD predicted overall survival in the entire cohort of patients. Prognostic values of LPL gene expression levels were significant even for CLL patients with stage A. Quantitative RT-PCR assays for measuring LPL gene expression are robust enough to be introduced into routine clinical practice.