Hungarian Researchers Look at CD38, Mutational Status and Survival

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(Hungarian researchers are catching up, it appears.)

Orv Hetil. 2003 Aug 3;144(31):1531-5.

[Article in Hungarian]

Mhes L, Simon A, Rejto L, Kiss A, Remenyi G, Batar P, Telek B,

Udvardy M.

Debreceni Egyetem, Orvos- es Egeszsegtudomanyi Centrum, II.

Belgyogyaszati Klinika, Hematologiai Tanszek.

CD38 is expressed on the surface of leukemic cells in a significant

percentage of patients with B-cell chronic lymphocytic leukaemia

(CLL). From the literature it is known that CD38 expression has

prognostic value in CLL, suggesting an association between CD38

expression and the mutational status of IgV genes.

Peripheral blood samples from 82 patients with CLL were analyzed by

flow cytometry for CD38 expression on CD19+ leukemic cells. CD38 was

expressed in 30% or more of leukemic cells in 26 patients (patients

with 30% or more B cells coexpressing CD19/CD38 were considered

positive). Seven of the 26 patients with high CD38 expression and

eight of the 56 patients with low CD38 expression had advanced-stage

disease (RAI III-IV). Higher than 4 mg/l levels of beta 2-

microglobulin was measured in the serum of nine of 26 CD38+ and seven

of 56 CD38- patients.

Our analyses showed that the high CD38 expression is associated with

other risk factors, identifying an aggressive disease, which require

treatment. It will be important to conduct further studies to

establish the prognostic value of the high CD38 expression in early-

stage disease.

PMID: 14502867 [PubMed - in process]