What is an IgVH mutation analysis?

What is an IgVH mutation analysis?

Test Details The IgVH gene mutation status is one of the discriminators of clinical outcome in patients with CLL. The mutational status of the immunoglobulin genes expressed by CLL cells can be used to segregate patients into two subsets that have significantly different tendencies for disease progression.

What gene is mutated in CLL?

The immunoglobulin heavy chain gene (IgHV) mutation status correlates with the clinical outcome of patients with chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) treated with chemoimmunotherapy. Why the survival rate of patients with unmutated IgHV is worse than that of patients with mutated IgHV is unknown.

What does IgVH mean?

One of those genes controls the specialized portion of the upper arms of the heavy chain so it is unimaginatively named the Immunoglobulin Variable Heavy Chain gene or IgVH.

What is the life expectancy of someone with CLL?

The prognosis of patients with CLL varies widely at diagnosis. Some patients die rapidly, within 2-3 years of diagnosis, because of complications from CLL. Most patients live 5-10 years, with an initial course that is relatively benign but followed by a terminal, progressive, and resistant phase lasting 1-2 years.

What is FISH test for CLL?

A FISH test looks for a small number of specific changes in genes or chromosomes in the chronic lymphocytic leukaemia (CLL) cells. It gives information about the gene changes in chromosomes, such as whether a part is missing or ‘deleted’. Information from these tests helps doctors know how well certain drugs may work.

Can IGHV mutation status change?

Mutations of the genes codifying for the immunoglobulin heavy chain variable region (IGHV) of the BCR represent one of the most robust prognostic biomarkers, and, indeed, was one of the first to be identified. IGHV mutations never change over time, and thus represent the fingerprint of the disease.

What happens when CLL mutates?

Approximately 30%–40% of CLL patients with 11q22. 3 deletion and progressive disease have a dysfunctional (missense or a nonsense) mutation in the remaining ATM allele, resulting in more aggressive disease, poorer treatment responses, and shorter overall survival similar to that of CLL patients with dysfunctional p53.

Is leukemia a chronic illness?

The cancerous cells can also invade the spleen, liver, and other organs. Chronic leukemia is a slow-growing leukemia. Acute leukemia is a fast-growing leukemia that progresses quickly without treatment.