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Variant IRF4/MUM1 associates with CD38 status and treatment-free survival in chronic lymphocytic leukaemia

Leukemia volume 24, pages 877–881 (2010)Cite this article

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A low penetrance risk allele (defined by rs872071) for chronic lymphocytic leukaemia (CLL) has been identified at the interferon regulatory factor 4 (IRF4)/multiple myeloma oncogene (MUM1) locus at 6p25.3.1 Given a putative role for IRF4 in the aetiology of CLL and a role in regulating B-cell development, we hypothesised that genetic variation in this gene also has a role in determining prognosis in CLL.

Peripheral blood samples were obtained from 840 individuals of European origin resident in the UK and diagnosed with CLL between 1998 and 2006 who attended one of 6 clinical centres in the United Kingdom. All patients had typical CLL mature B-lymphocytes expressing CD5, CD19, CD23 and clonally restricted surface immunoglobulin, and diagnosis was made in accordance with World Heath Organisation classification guidelines.2 Indications for treatment were consistent with published guidelines,3 and choice of chemotherapy was at the discretion of local treating clinicians. Mean follow-up time was 2726 days (7.5 years) and 275 patients had died at the time of the last follow-up. The mean age at diagnosis was 65 years (range 24–100 years). Collection of peripheral blood samples and clinicopathological information was undertaken with informed consent and ethical review board approval in accordance with the tenets of the Declaration of Helsinki, and also following review by the respective Institutional Research and Development Committees.

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Acknowledgements

This work was supported by Leukaemia Research, London, United Kingdom (Grant no. 06002 to JMA). The authors thank Simon Kometa (Newcastle University) for statistical support, Elaine Willmore and Barbara Durkacz (Newcastle University) for supporting this study and Daniel Catovsky (Institute of Cancer Research, Sutton) for critical review of this paper.

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Author notes

  1. G Pratt and D J Allsup: These authors contributed equally to this work.

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Northern Institute for Cancer Research, Paul O’Gorman Building, Newcastle University, Newcastle-upon-Tyne, UK

    J M Allan, N J Sunter, A G Hall, L Deignan & C M Bacon

  2. Hull York Medical School and University of Hull, Hull, UK

    J R Bailey & J C Pointon

  3. Division of Haematology, University of Liverpool School of Cancer Studies, Liverpool, UK

    A R Pettitt & R J Harris

  4. Department of haematology, School of Medicine, Cardiff University, Cardiff, UK

    C Pepper

  5. Cardiff and Vale NHS Trust, Heath Park, Cardiff, UK

    C Fegan

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

    R S Houlston & P Broderick

  7. Haematological Sciences, Newcastle University, Newcastle-upon-Tyne, UK

    T Mainou-Fowler

  8. Department of Haematology, Royal Victoria Infirmary, Newcastle-upon-Tyne, UK

    G H Jackson

  9. Department of Haematology, Queen Elizabeth Hospital, Gateshead, Newcastle-upon-Tyne, UK,

    G Summerfield

  10. HMDS Laboratory, Leeds Teaching Hospital NHS Trust, Leeds, UK

    P A Evans

  11. Cancer Research UK Clinical Centre, University of Southampton, Southampton, UK

    J C Strefford

  12. Department of Molecular Biology and Cytogenetics, Royal Bournemouth Hospital, Bournemouth, UK

    A Parker & D Oscier

  13. Department of Haematology, Birmingham Heartlands Hospital, Birmingham, UK

    G Pratt

  14. Department of Haematology, Hull Royal Infirmary, Hull, UK

    D J Allsup

Authors
  1. J M Allan
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  7. C Fegan
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  8. A G Hall
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  11. J C Pointon
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  15. G H Jackson
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  16. G Summerfield
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  17. P A Evans
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  18. J C Strefford
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  19. A Parker
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  20. D Oscier
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  21. G Pratt
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  22. D J Allsup
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to J M Allan.

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The authors declare no conflict of interest.

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Allan, J., Sunter, N., Bailey, J. et al. Variant IRF4/MUM1 associates with CD38 status and treatment-free survival in chronic lymphocytic leukaemia. Leukemia 24, 877–881 (2010). https://doi.org/10.1038/leu.2009.298

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