Prognostic relevance of 6q deletion in Waldenström's macroglobulinemia: a multicenter study.
The deletion of the long arm of chromosome 6 is the most common cytogenetic abnormality in Waldenstrom's macroglobulinemia (WM), but its prognostic significance is unclear. We investigated 77 patients with WM by interphase cytoplasmic immunoglobulin M fluorescence in situ hybridization (cIgM-FISH) and correlated the 6q status with the patients' clinical features and survival. cIg-FISH detected hemizygous 6q deletions in 32 patients (41.6%). The 6q deletions were correlated with higher C-reactive protein levels (P = .02) and CD23 expression (P = .03) but not with other clinical laboratory features of WM. There was no significant difference in time to the initial treatment between deleted and non-deleted groups (median, 5.6 months vs. 2.6 months; P = .46), or overall survivals in patients with and without del (6q) (163 months vs. not reached; P = .83). Our study confirms that the 6q deletion is a frequent event, but it does not appear to affect the clinical outcome of WM.
University Health Network, Toronto, Canada. hong.chang@uhn.on.ca
Hong
H
Chang
Connie
C
Qi
Young
Y
Trieu
Allan
A
Jiang
Ken H
KH
Young
Alden
A
Chesney
Prashant
P
Jani
Chen
C
Wang
Donna
D
Reece
Christine
C
Chen
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D002872:Chromosome Deletion; D002896:Chromosomes, Human, Pair 6; D015331:Cohort Studies; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D017404:In Situ Hybridization, Fluorescence; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011379:Prognosis; D008258:Waldenstrom Macroglobulinemia / Q000235:genetics*