Multiple productive immunoglobulin heavy chain gene rearrangements in chronic lymphocytic leukemia are mostly derived from independent clones.

In chronic lymphocytic leukemia, usually a monoclonal disease, multiple productive immunoglobulin heavy chain gene rearrangements are identified sporadically. Prognostication of such cases based on immunoglobulin heavy variable gene mutational status can be problematic, especially if the different rearrangements have discordant mutational status. To gain insight into the possible biological mechanisms underlying the origin of the multiple rearrangements, we performed a comprehensive immunogenetic and immunophenotypic characterization of 31 cases with the multiple rearrangements identified in a cohort of 1147 patients with chronic lymphocytic leukemia.

Detecting minimal residual disease in patients with chronic lymphocytic leukemia using 8-color flow cytometry protocol in routine hematological practice.

Introduction: Minimal residual disease (MRD) detection has become increasingly important for the assessment of therapy response in chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL). However, current MRD analysis methods, both molecular genetic and flow cytometric, are time-consuming and require experienced laboratory staff.

Methods: To reduce the demands of flow cytometric MRD detection in CLL, we have introduced a novel flow cytometric 8-color protocol.

Prognostic impact of DNMT3A mutations in patients with intermediate cytogenetic risk profile acute myeloid leukemia.

Objectives: Recently, mutations in DNMT3A gene have been described in about 25% acute myeloid leukemia (AML) cases, preferentially in monocytic AML. They were found to predict worse overall survival (OS) of mutated patients.

Patients And Methods: RT-PCR followed by direct sequencing was used to test the presence of DNMT3A mutations in 226 AML patients with an intermediate-risk (IR) cytogenetics.