Although chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) is diagnosed by identifying a circulating B-cell clone that exceeds 5x106/μL, additional distinct clones (ADC) have been identified in various studies. Notably, the numbers of ADC documented in these studies has increased as the various technologies evolved. To better define the frequency and the characteristics of ADCs in CLL, we used a Next Generation Sequencing (NGS) platform that affords high sequencing depth along with steps that limit overcounting to analyze IGHV-IGHD-IGHJ gene rearrangements in circulating CD5+ B cells from 57 patients.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBackground: Acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) in adults is aggressive, with long-term outcomes impacted by treatment resistance and toxicity. CD52 is expressed in most cases of B- and T-lineage ALL. Alemtuzumab, a humanized immunoglobulin G1 monoclonal antibody that targets CD52, was identified as a potential agent to improve treatment efficacy without increasing toxicity.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFThe FLT3 gene frequently undergoes mutations in acute myeloid leukemia (AML), with internal tandem duplications (ITD) and tyrosine kinase domain (TKD) point mutations (PMs) being most common. Recently, PMs and deletions in the FLT3 juxtamembrane domain (JMD) have been identified, but their biological and clinical significance remains poorly understood. We analyzed 1660 patients with de novo AML and found FLT3-JMD mutations, mostly PMs, in 2% of the patients.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFCLL B cells express elevated pro-survival BCL2, and its selective inhibitor, venetoclax, significantly reduces leukemic cell load, leading to clinical remission. Nonetheless, relapses occur. This study evaluates the hypothesis that progressively diminished BCL2 protein in cycling CLL cells within patient lymph node niches contributes to relapse.
View Article and Find Full Text PDF