Graft-versus-leukemia activity may overcome therapeutic resistance of chronic lymphocytic leukemia with unmutated immunoglobulin variable heavy-chain gene status: implications of minimal residual disease measurement with quantitative PCR

Blood. 2004 Oct 15;104(8):2600-2. doi: 10.1182/blood-2003-12-4321. Epub 2004 Jun 17.

Abstract

The aim of this study was to investigate if graft-versus-leukemia (GVL) activity conferred by allogeneic stem cell transplantation (allo-SCT) is effective in chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) with unmutated V(H) gene status. The kinetics of residual disease (MRD) were measured by quantitative allele-specific immunoglobulin heavy chain (IgH) polymerase chain reaction (PCR) in 9 patients after nonmyeloablative allo-SCT for unmutated CLL. Despite an only modest decrease in the early posttransplantation phase, MRD became undetectable in 7 of 9 patients (78%) from day +100 onwards subsequent to chronic graft-versus-host disease or donor lymphocyte infusions. With a median follow-up of 25 months (range, 14-37 months), these 7 patients remain in continuous clinical and molecular remission. In contrast, PCR negativity was achieved in only 6 of 26 control patients (23%) after autologous SCT for unmutated CLL and it was not durable. Taken together, this study shows for the first time that GVL-mediated immunotherapy might be effective in CLL with unmutated V(H).

Publication types

  • Clinical Trial
  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Adult
  • Female
  • Graft vs Host Disease / immunology*
  • Humans
  • Immunoglobulin Heavy Chains / genetics*
  • Immunotherapy / methods*
  • Kinetics
  • Leukemia, Lymphocytic, Chronic, B-Cell / genetics
  • Leukemia, Lymphocytic, Chronic, B-Cell / immunology*
  • Leukemia, Lymphocytic, Chronic, B-Cell / therapy*
  • Male
  • Middle Aged
  • Neoplasm, Residual / diagnosis*
  • Neoplasm, Residual / genetics*
  • Neoplasm, Residual / immunology
  • Polymerase Chain Reaction
  • Stem Cell Transplantation
  • Transplantation Immunology
  • Transplantation, Homologous / immunology

Substances

  • Immunoglobulin Heavy Chains