CD38 Levels in B and T Cells May be Marker of Prognosis in Male Patients

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Blood First Edition Paper, prepublished online July 6, 2006

Submitted March 21, 2006

Accepted June 20, 2006

Expression levels of CD38 in T-cells predict for course of disease in

male patients with B-chronic lymphocytic leukemia

Inge Tinhofer*, e zer, Holler, beth

Hofstaetter, Markus Stoecher, Egle, Steurer, and

Greil

Laboratory of Immunological and Molecular Cancer Research, University

Hospital Salzburg

Division of Hematology and Oncology, Innsbruck Medical University

CD38 expression of tumor cells has been identified as important

prognostic factor in B-chronic lymphocytic leukemia. Although CD38 is

involved in effector functions of T-cells, the prognostic value of

CD38+ T-cells has not yet been addressed in B-CLL.

In the present study, CD38 expression levels in B-CLL cells and T-

cells from 204 patients were analyzed by flow cytometry and

correlated with clinical and molecular risk parameters. CD38

expression significantly differed in the neoplastic clone from

patients with low vs advanced stage, irrespective of the gender of

patients. In contrast, CD38 expression was generally higher in T-

cells from female as compared to male patients, but only increased in

male patients in a stage-dependent manner. In male patients, combined

analysis of CD38 in T-cells and B-CLL cells identified 4 subgroups

with significantly different treatment-free survival.

Multivariate analysis including Rai stage and molecular risk

parameters of the neoplastic clone identified CD38 expression levels

in T-cells as independent prognostic factor in male patients.

Combined analysis of CD38 in B-CLL and T-cells is superior in

predicting outcome of male B-CLL patients than either parameter

alone. Further studies are needed to elucidate the underlying

mechanisms of the gender-specific role of CD38+ T-cells in B-CLL.