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Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia and Normal B-cells

CLL family ‘Pedigree 14’ revisited: 1947–2004

Leukemia volume 19, pages 1025–1028 (2005)Cite this article

Abstract

The notion that inherited predisposition contributes to the development of haematological malignancies is generally thought of as being a relatively new idea. However, Videbaek made a clear enunciation of such a hypothesis in 1947, from a study of tumour incidence in relatives of patients with different leukaemias. To gain further insight into inherited susceptibility to chronic lymphocytic leukaemia (CLL), we followed up the descendants of Videbaek's ‘Pedigree 14’ series of families. Using the Danish medical and pedigree databases, complete tracing of 222 descendants of the original 57 family members was achieved. To date, 10 family members have been diagnosed with CLL, one with T-cell lymphoma and 17 with nonhaematological cancers, including five with breast cancer. The detailed follow up of this family provides further support for inherited predisposition to CLL and illustrates the value of follow-up studies of previously published family material for genetic analyses.

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Acknowledgements

This work was supported by grants from the Novo Nordic Foundation, DK, Brøchner Mortensen's Fund, DK and Leukaemia Research Fund, UK. We are grateful to the Royal Danish Archives and The Provincial Archives of Sealand (Record no. 2000 – 441 – 0023), The Danish Data Protection Agency (Record no. 2000 – 41 – 0184), The Danish Scientific-Ethical Committees (Record no. 01 – 224/01) and The Danish Board of Health (Record no. 123 – 63 – 2000) for granting access to data.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Haematology, Rigshospital, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark

    V Jønsson

  2. Section of Cancer Genetics, Institute of Cancer Research, Sutton, Surrey, UK

    R S Houlston, G Sellick & R Allinson

  3. Department of Haemato-Oncology, Institute of Cancer Research, Sutton, Surrey, UK

    D Catovsky

  4. MRC Geneservice, Wellcome Trust Genome Campus, Hinxton, Cambridge, UK

    M R Yuille

  5. Department of Biostatistics, University of Copenhagen, Blegdamsvej 3, Copenhagen, Denmark

    J Hilden

  6. Institute of Cancer Epidemiology, Danish Cancer Society, Strandboulevarden, Copenhagen, Denmark

    J H Olsen

  7. The Cancer Registry, National Board of Health, Islands Brygge, Copenhagen, Denmark

    M Fajber & B Brandt

  8. Department of Autoimmunology, State Serum Institute, Copenhagen, Denmark

    A Wiik

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  1. V Jønsson
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  2. R S Houlston
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  3. D Catovsky
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  4. M R Yuille
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  11. A Wiik
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Correspondence to V Jønsson.

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Jønsson, V., Houlston, R., Catovsky, D. et al. CLL family ‘Pedigree 14’ revisited: 1947–2004. Leukemia 19, 1025–1028 (2005). https://doi.org/10.1038/sj.leu.2403727

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/sj.leu.2403727

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