title: Atypical lymphocyte morphology: an adverse prognostic factor for disease progression in stage A CLL independent of trisomy 12.
abstract: We studied 270 patients with Binet stage A chronic lymphocytic leukaemia looking for adverse prognostic factors. In a multivariate analysis the following features were found to be risk factors for disease progression: atypical lymphocyte morphology (defined as either > 10% prolymphocytes or > 15% lymphocytes with cleaved nuclei or lymphoplasmacytoid cells); more than two karyotypic abnormalities; lymphocyte count > 30 x 10(9)/l; lymphocyte doubling time < 1 year; enlargement of one or more lymph node groups. In a univariate analysis the presence of trisomy 12 also correlated with progressive disease, but this was largely a consequence of the association between trisomy 12 and atypical lymphocyte morphology. Atypical lymphocyte morphology is an important prognostic factor in stage A CLL, and one which incurs no additional investigational cost.
authors.affiliation: Department of Haematology, Royal Bournemouth Hospital, London.
authors.forename: D G
authors.initials: DG
authors.lastname: Oscier
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Matutes
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Copplestone
authors.forename: R M
authors.initials: RM
authors.lastname: Pickering
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Chapman
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Gillingham
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Catovsky
authors.forename: T J
authors.initials: TJ
authors.lastname: Hamblin
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D002881:Chromosomes, Human, Pair 12 / Q000235:genetics*; D018450:Disease Progression; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D015451:Leukemia, Lymphocytic, Chronic, B-Cell / Q000235:genetics* / Q000473:pathology; D008214:Lymphocytes / Q000473:pathology*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011379:Prognosis; D014314:Trisomy