Background Fluorescence in situ hybridization has improved the detection of genomic
aberrations in chronic lymphocytic leukemia. We used this method to identify chromosomal
abnormalities in patients with chronic lymphocytic leukemia and assessed their prognostic
implications. Methods Mononuclear cells from the blood of 325 patients with chronic
lymphocytic leukemia were analyzed by fluorescence in situ hybridization for deletions in
chromosome bands 6q21, 11q22–23, 13q14, and 17p13; trisomy of bands 3q26, 8q24, and …

In chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL), biologic risk factors such as immunoglobulin variable
heavy chain gene (VH) mutation status, CD38 expression level, and genomic aberrations
have recently been identified, but the relative prognostic impact of the individual parameters
is unknown. In the current study, we analyzed VH mutation status by polymerase chain
reaction and sequencing (n= 300), genomic aberrations by fluorescence in situ hybridization
(+ 3q, 6q−,+ 8q, 11q−,+ 12q, 13q−, t (14q), 17p−)(n= 300), and CD38 expression by triple …