ZAP-70 and CD38 expression are independent prognostic factors in patients with B-cell chronic lymphocytic leukaemia and combined analysis improves their predictive value.

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ZAP-70 and CD38 expression are independent prognostic factors in patients with

B-cell chronic lymphocytic leukaemia and combined analysis improves their

predictive value.

I Hus, A Bojarska-Junak, A Dmoszynska, E Wasik-Szczepanek, M Sieklucka, W

Trzesniewska, M Glazer, and J Rolinski

Folia Histochem Cytobiol, January 1, 2008; 46(2): 147-52.

Department of Haematology and Bone Marrow Transplantation, Medical University of

Lublin. iwohus@...

Recently identified biological risk factors in B-cell chronic lymphocytic

leukemia (B-CLL) include ZAP-70 and CD38 expression. The present study was

conducted to clarify whether a combined analysis could improve predictive impact

of these two parameters. We examined the expression of ZAP-70 and CD38 by flow

cytometry method in 217 newly diagnosed, consecutive, unselected and well

characterized B-CLL patients in relation to laboratory parameters and clinical

outcome. We confirmed that both ZAP-70 as well as CD38 were independent of

prognostic factors. There was a significant correlation between the percentage

of leukemic cells positive for ZAP-70 and the percentage of CD38+CD19+ cells

(R=0.629; p=0.000001). Combined analysis of ZAP-70 and CD38 showed concordant

results in 158/217 patients (72.8%), while in 59 patients the results were

discordant (27.2%). A mean treatment free survival (TFS) was the longest in

ZAP-70-CD38-patients (45.6 months, comparing to 13.6 months in ZAP-70+CD38+

group). Also a mean overall survival was the longest in ZAP-70-CD38- patients

(224.7 months compared to 77.9 months in ZAP-70+CD38+ patients).

PMID: 18519230