Emili Montserrat, M.D. Hospital Clinic Barcelona (Spain)

TRANSPLANTATION/IMMUNE RECONSTITUTION

Modern therapy and immune function in patients with chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL). A multiparametric approach

Update:

In the framework of the Transplantation/Immune Reconstitution Group of the U.S/European Alliance, we have focused on the analysis of the immune status in patients with CLL having undergone stem cell transplantation and who are in long lasting complete remission (CR). Up to now, we have collected samples from 16 patients who have a median follow-up of 5 years. From the raw data obtained in this population, one of the most striking findings is that beta-2 microglobulin (a very well known prognostic marker in CLL) seems to be an extremely powerful marker in patients with CLL who receive a transplant since it correlates with a variety of outcomes, including non-relapse mortality, progression-free and overall survival.

Moreover, we have also found that patients who are in CR, according to NCI criteria, still have abnormalities in T cell function, expansion of T CD8 + cells, and a high number of NK cells. Although these are preliminary results, studies by use of ELISPOT will be performed in order to determine cytokines that may be affected as a result of those abnormalities, and also to determine the potential relationship between these abnormalities and the presence or not of residual leukemic cells.