Relevance of CD49d protein expression as overall survival and progressive disease prognosticator in chronic lymphocytic leukemia

CD49d/α4-integrin is variably expressed in chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL). We evaluated its relevance as independent prognosticator for overall survival and time to treatment (TTT) in a series of 303 (232 for TTT) CLLs, in comparison with other biologic or clinical prognosticators (CD38, ZAP-70, immunoglobulin variable heavy chain (IGHV) gene status, cytogenetic abnormalities, soluble CD23, β2-microglobulin, Rai staging). Flow cytometric detection of CD49d was stable and reproducible, and the chosen cut-off (30% CLL cells) easily discriminated CD49dlow from CD49dhigh cases. CD49d, whose expression was strongly associated with that of CD38 (P < .001) and ZAP-70 (P < .001), or with IGHV mutations (P < .001), was independent prognosticator for overall survival along with IGHV mutational status (CD49d hazard ratio, HRCD49d = 3.52, P = .02; HRIGHV = 6.53, P < .001) or, if this parameter was omitted, with ZAP-70 (HRCD49d = 3.72, P = .002; HRZAP-70 = 3.32, P = .009). CD49d was also a prognosticator for TTT (HR = 1.74, P = .007) and refined the impact of all the other factors. Notably, a CD49dhigh phenotype, although not changing the outcome of good prognosis (ZAP-70low, mutated IGHV) CLL, was necessary to correctly prognosticate the shorter TTT of ZAP-70high (HR = 3.12; P = .023) or unmutated IGHV (HR = 2.95; P = .002) cases. These findings support the introduction of CD49d detection in routine prognostic assessment of CLL patients, and suggest both pathogenetic and therapeutic implications for CD49d expression in CLL.