Managing chronic myeloid leukaemia in the elderly with intermittent imatinib treatment.

The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of a non-standard, intermittent imatinib treatment in elderly patients with Philadelphia-positive chronic myeloid leukaemia and to answer the question on which dose should be used once a stable optimal response has been achieved. Seventy-six patients aged ⩾65 years in optimal and stable response with ⩾2 years of standard imatinib treatment were enrolled in a study testing a regimen of intermittent imatinib (INTERIM; 1-month on and 1-month off). With a minimum follow-up of 6 years, 16/76 patients (21%) have lost complete cytogenetic response (CCyR) and major molecular response (MMR), and 16 patients (21%) have lost MMR only.

Complete molecular response in CML after p210 BCR-ABL1-derived peptide vaccination.

Background: A 63-year-old woman with chronic myeloid leukemia (CML) received treatment with interferon (IFN)-α for 6 years. After achieving a complete cytogenetic response that was repetitively documented, IFN-α treatment was stopped. Despite maintenance of a complete cytogenetic response, a progressive rise of the BCR-ABL1 transcript was detected and loss of major molecular response occurred about 2 years after stopping IFN-α therapy.

The normal IGHV1-69-derived B-cell repertoire contains stereotypic patterns characteristic of unmutated CLL.

The cell of origin of chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) has long been sought, and immunoglobulin gene analysis provides new clues. In the unmutated subset (U-CLL), there is increased usage of the 51p1-related alleles of the immunoglobulin heavy chain variable 1-69 gene, often combined with selected genes and with immunoglobulin heavy chain diversity IGHJ6. Stereotypic characteristics of the HCDR3 result and suggest antigen selection of the leukemic clones.