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Revisiting the definition of somatic mutational status in B-cell tumors: does 98% homology mean that a VH-gene is unmutated?

Leukemia volume 18, pages 882–883 (2004)Cite this article

TO THE EDITOR

In B-cell tumors, accurate assessment of somatic mutational status has implications for defining tumor origin and, in some categories, has relevance for predicting the clinical outcome. In 1999, it was found that in chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) cases carrying VH-genes with >98% homology to the closest germline (GL) gene identified a subset with a poorer prognosis, as compared to cases which had clearly undergone somatic mutation.1 Initially, the 98% cutoff was used to exclude potential polymorphic variant sequences. It was a short cut to avoid analyzing the corresponding GL gene in each patient, and is now used for assignment of mutational status in a range of B-cell tumors.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Divisione di Ematologia e Trapianti, Dipartimento di Medicina Clinica e Scienze Immunologiche, Università di Siena, Italy

    F Forconi & F Lauria

  2. Cancer Sciences Division, Molecular Immunology Group, Tenovus Laboratory, Southampton University Hospitals Trust, Southampton, UK

    S S Sahota & F K Stevenson

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  1. F Forconi
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  2. S S Sahota
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  3. F Lauria
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  4. F K Stevenson
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Correspondence to F K Stevenson.

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Forconi, F., Sahota, S., Lauria, F. et al. Revisiting the definition of somatic mutational status in B-cell tumors: does 98% homology mean that a VH-gene is unmutated?. Leukemia 18, 882–883 (2004). https://doi.org/10.1038/sj.leu.2403312

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