Complex evaluation of serum immunoglobulin levels in patients with chronic lymphocytic leukemia: Significant increase in IgA after first-line chemoimmunotherapy.

INTRODUCTION

The impact of chemoimmunotherapy (CIT) on immunoglobulin (Ig) quantities in patients with chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) has not been extensively studied.

METHODS

We analyzed Ig levels in 45 stable patients with indolent CLL (without indication for treatment) and 87 patients with progressive disease before first-line treatment. Fifty-five patients were evaluated again after the treatment with CIT.

RESULTS

We observed significantly lower levels of all Ig classes and subclasses in patients with progressive disease compared to patients with indolent disease. After treatment, median IgA increased from 0.59 g/L to 0.74 g/L (p = 0.0031). In stable patients, lower IgA2 was associated with shorter time to first treatment, although it did not reach statistical significance (p = 0.056). Shorter overall survival was observed in patients with progressive disease and lower IgG2 (p = 0.043). Surprisingly, among the patients with progressive CLL, unmutated IGHV genes were associated with higher levels of IgG, IgG1 and IgM, while TP53 mutation and/or 17p deletion were associated with higher levels of IgA and IgA1.

CONCLUSIONS

CIT may lead to increase in IgA levels. Hypogammaglobulinemia is more common in patients with progressive CLL and unmutated IGHV or TP53 dysfunction.