Table I.
Comparison of baseline characteristics at the time of CLL diagnosis between patients who later develop Richter syndrome versus those who do not
| Characteristic | RS n (%) |
No RS n (%) |
p-value | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Number of Patients | 37 | 1604 | ||
| Median Age, years (range) | 61 (21–85) | 64 (25–97) | 0.19 | |
| Sex (male) | 29 (78) | 1047 (65) | 0.09 | |
| Median white cell count (×109/L) (range) | 14.8 (2.6–415.5) | 13.9 (0.5–732.1) | 0.85 | |
| Median absolute lymphocyte count (×109/L) (range) | 9.1 (0.7–386.4) | 8.4 (0.0–673.5) | 0.79 | |
| Median absolute B-cell count (×109/L) (range) | 14.3 (1.4–378.3) | 7.0 (0.0–666.7) | 0.02 | |
| Median haemoglobin (gm/dL) (range) | 13.5 (6.8–16.0) | 13.9 (4.9–17.9) | 0.11 | |
| Median platelets (×109/L) (range) | 190 (71–493) | 199 (4–1229) | 0.43 | |
| Median beta-2 microglobulin (mg/L) (range) | 3.1 (1.2–13.1) | 2.3 (0.9–21.7) | 0.02 | |
| Rai Stage | Low (0) | 10 (27) | 822 (52) | <0.001 |
| Intermediate (I, II) | 19 (51) | 683 (43) | ||
| High (III, IV) | 8 (22) | 89 (6) | ||
| Missing | 0 | 10 | ||
| ECOG Performance Status | 0 | 27 (73) | 1394 (87) | 0.02 |
| 1–2 | 10 (27) | 192 (11) | ||
| 3–4 | 0 (0) | 14 (1) | ||
| IGHV Mutation Status | Mutated | 5 (24) | 531 (56) | 0.003 |
| Unmutated | 16 (76) | 419 (44) | ||
| Missing | 16 | 654 | ||
| IGHV 4–39 usage | Yes | 0 | 29 | 1.0 |
| No | 14 | 797 | ||
| Missing | 23 | 778 | ||
| Stereotyped B-cell receptor | Yes | 6 | 119 | 0.01 |
| No | 8 | 678 | ||
| Missing | 23 | 807 | ||
| ZAP-70 | Negative | 8 (42) | 664 (65) | 0.02 |
| Positive | 11 (58) | 333 (35) | ||
| Missing | 18 | 607 | ||
| CD49d | Negative | 3 (23) | 512 (69) | 0.0004 |
| Positive | 10 (77) | 227 (31) | ||
| Missing | 24 | 865 | ||
| CD38 | Negative | 12 (43) | 957 (71) | 0.001 |
| Positive | 16 (57) | 387 (29) | ||
| Missing | 9 | 260 | ||
| FISH category | Nil | 6 (21) | 282 (25) | <0.001 |
| 13q- | 3 (11) | 455 (41) | ||
| Trisomy 12 | 6 (21) | 214 (19) | ||
| 11q- | 6 (21) | 95 (8) | ||
| 17p- | 7 (25) | 48 (4) | ||
| Other | 0 (0) | 13 (1) | ||
| Missing | 9 | 497 | ||
Abbreviations Used: ECOG: Eastern Oncology Co-operative Group; IGHV immunoglobulin heavy chain variable gene; FISH: fluorescence in-situ hybridization