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CD38+ chronic lymphocytic leukaemia cells co-express high levels of ZAP-70 and are functionally distinct from their CD38− counter-parts

Leukemia volume 20, pages 743–744 (2006)Cite this article

Expression of the CD38 antigen on the surface of chronic lymphocytic leukaemia cells is associated with poor prognosis.1, 2, 3 Despite the assertion that CD38 is a signalling molecule that transduces activation/differentiation signals in chronic lymphocytic leukaemia (CLL),4 no clear biological rationale for this correlation has yet emerged. Several confounding factors prevent easy dissection of the role of CD38 in the pathogenesis of CLL. Firstly, CD38 appears to be differentially expressed in the lymph nodes, bone marrow and peripheral blood and may be modulated by microenvironmental factors.5, 6 Secondly, CD38 expression in CLL is frequently coincident with other important poor prognostic markers including high ZAP-70 and unmutated VH genes when using categorical cutoff levels to define the patient cohort.7 Therefore, the nature and precise contribution of CD38 expression to inferior outcome cannot readily be evaluated unless a more systematic approach is employed.

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Acknowledgements

This work was supported by the Leukaemia Research Fund and the Welsh Bone Marrow Transplant Research Fund.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Haematology, Wales School of Medicine, Cardiff University, Heath Park, Cardiff, UK

    C Pepper, S Alghazal, R Ward, T Lin, C Rowntree & C Fegan

  2. Department of Medical Biochemistry & Immunology, Wales School of Medicine, Cardiff University, Heath Park, Cardiff, UK

    P Brennan

  3. Department of Haematology, Birmingham Heartlands Hospital, Bordesley Green East, Birmingham, UK

    G Pratt & J Starczynski

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  1. C Pepper
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Correspondence to C Pepper.

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Pepper, C., Brennan, P., Alghazal, S. et al. CD38+ chronic lymphocytic leukaemia cells co-express high levels of ZAP-70 and are functionally distinct from their CD38− counter-parts. Leukemia 20, 743–744 (2006). https://doi.org/10.1038/sj.leu.2404133

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