title: Immunophenotype predicts survival time in dogs with chronic lymphocytic leukemia.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) is a hematologic disorder in dogs, but studies on prognostic factors and clinical outcome are lacking. In people, several prognostic factors have been identified and currently are used to manage patients and determine therapy.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  The aim of the study was to determine if the immunophenotype of neoplastic cells predicts survival in canine CLL.
  
  
  METHODS
  Retrospective study.
  
  
  METHODS
  Forty-three dogs with CLL.
  
  
  METHODS
  Records of dogs with a final diagnosis of CLL were reviewed. For each included dog, a CBC, blood smear for microscopic reevaluation, and immunophenotyping data had to be available. Data on signalment, history, clinical findings, therapy, follow-up, as well as date and cause of death were retrieved.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Seventeen dogs had B-CLL (CD21+), 19 had T-CLL (CD3+ CD8+), and 7 had atypical CLL (3 CD3- CD8+, 2 CD3+ CD4- CD8-, 1 CD3+ CD4+ CD8+, and 1 CD3+ CD21+). Among the variables considered, only immunophenotype was associated with survival. Dogs with T-CLL had approximately 3-fold and 19-fold higher probability of surviving than dogs with B-CLL and atypical CLL, respectively. Old dogs with B-CLL survived significantly longer than did young dogs, and anemic dogs with T-CLL survived a significantly shorter time than dogs without anemia.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Although preliminary, results suggested that immunophenotype is useful to predict survival in dogs with CLL. Young age and anemia are associated with shorter survival in dogs with B-CLL and T-CLL, respectively.
authors.affiliation: Dipartimento di Patologia Animale, Igiene e Sanità Pubblica Veterinaria, Università degli Studi di Milano, Milan, Italy. stefano.comazzi@unimi.it
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Comazzi
authors.forename: M E
authors.initials: ME
authors.lastname: Gelain
authors.forename: V
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Martini
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Riondato
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Miniscalco
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Marconato
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Stefanello
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Mortarino
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D004283:Dog Diseases / Q000276:immunology / Q000473:pathology*; D004285:Dogs; D005434:Flow Cytometry / Q000662:veterinary; D016130:Immunophenotyping / Q000379:methods / Q000662:veterinary*; D053208:Kaplan-Meier Estimate; D015451:Leukemia, Lymphocytic, Chronic, B-Cell / Q000276:immunology / Q000473:pathology / Q000662:veterinary*; D016016:Proportional Hazards Models; D012189:Retrospective Studies