A MicroRNA Signature Associated with Prognosis and Progression in Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia

TLDR: A unique microRNA signature is associated with prognostic factors and disease progression in CLL, and a germ-line mutation in the miR-16-1-miR-15a primary precursor caused low levels of microRNA expression in vitro and in vivo and was associated with deletion of the normal allele.

Abstract: Background MicroRNA expression profiles can be used to distinguish normal B cells from malignant B cells in patients with chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL). We investigated whether microRNA profiles are associated with known prognostic factors in CLL. Methods We evaluated the microRNA expression profiles of 94 samples of CLL cells for which the level of expression of 70-kD zeta-associated protein (ZAP-70), the mutational status of the rearranged immunoglobulin heavy-chain variable-region (IgVH ) gene, and the time from diagnosis to initial treatment were known. We also investigated the genomic sequence of 42 microRNA genes to identify abnormalities. Results A unique microRNA expression signature composed of 13 genes (of 190 analyzed) differentiated cases of CLL with low levels of ZAP-70 expression from those with high levels and cases with unmutated IgVH from those with mutated IgVH . The same microRNA signature was also associated with the presence or absence of disease progression. We also identified a...