Serum LDH level may predict outcome of chronic lymphocytic leukemia patients with a 17p deletion: a retrospective analysis of prognostic factors in China.

OBJECTIVE

This study aims to evaluate the natural history of patients with chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) and a 17p deletion (17p-) and identify the predictive factors within this subgroup.

METHODS

The sample of patients with CLL were analyzed by fluorescence hybridization for deletions in chromosome bands 11q22, 13q14 and 17p13; trisomy of bands 12q13; and translocation involving band 14q32. The data from 456 patients with or without a 17p- were retrospectively collected and analyzed.

RESULTS

The overall response rate (ORR) in patients with a 17p- was 56.9%, and patients with a high percentage of 17p- (defined as more than 25% of cells harbouring a 17p-) had a lower ORR. The median overall survival (OS) in patients with a 17p- was 78.0 months, which was significantly shorter than the OS in patients without this genetic abnormality (median 162.0 months, P<0.001). Within the subgroup with a 17p-, the progression-free survival was significantly shorter in patients at Binet stage B-C and patients with elevated lactate dehydrogenase (LDH), B symptoms, unmutated and a high percentage of 17p-.

CONCLUSIONS

These results indicated that patients with a 17p- CLL have a variable prognosis that might be predicted using simple clinical and laboratory characteristics.