Loss of 13q14 region
Loss of 13q14 band on chromosome 13 is the most common genetic abnormality in chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL), but the underlying molecular aberrations (13q14) have not yet been characterized.
13q14 deletion, del(13q14), is a heterogeneous alteration and is composed of multiple subtypes, which influence the biology and prognosis of the CLL. 13q14 deletions affect genes that confer a growth or anti-apoptotic survival of CLL cells, while deletions in 13q1 are part of the course of CLL and evolution to more aggressive subtypes, due to increased genomic instability (as observed with deletions 17p and 11q) and potential growth of more aggressive subclones and probably other yet unidentified mechanisms.
The clinical course of CLL is accelerated in patients with large 13q14 deletions (Type II) covering the RB1 gene, so the routinary identification of del(13q14) subtypes in the management of the CLL is needed.
References
- Mian M, et al. (2012) Hematol Oncol. 30(1):46-9
- Ouillette P, et al. (2011) Clin Cancer Res.17(21):6778-90
- Ouillette P, et al. (2008) Cancer Res. 68(4):1012-21
- Stilgenbauer, S., et al. Leukemia 16 (6) (2002): 993-1007
