N Engl J Med. 2003 May 1;348(18):1764-75.  Comment in: N Engl J Med. 2003 Jul 31;349(5):506-7; author reply 506-7.  N Engl J Med. 2003 May 1;348(18):1797-9. ZAP-70 expression as a surrogate for immunoglobulin-variable-region mutations in chronic lymphocytic leukemia. Crespo M, Bosch F, Villamor N, Bellosillo B, Colomer D, Rozman M, Marce S, Lopez-Guillermo A, Campo E, Montserrat E. Department of Hematology, Institut d'Investigacions Biomediques August Pi i Sunyer, Hospital Clinic, Barcelona, Spain. BACKGROUND: The mutational status of immunoglobulin heavy-chain variable-region (IgVH) genes in the leukemic cells of chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) is an important prognostic factor in the disease. We investigated whether the expression of ZAP-70 by CLL cells correlated with the IgVH mutational status, disease progression, and survival. METHODS: The expression of ZAP-70 was analyzed in T-cell and B-cell lines and in peripheral-blood samples from 56 patients with CLL with the use of flow cytometry, Western blotting, and immunohistochemistry. The results were correlated with the IgVH mutational status and clinical outcome. RESULTS: ZAP-70 was detected by flow-cytometric analysis in cells of T-cell lineage and in leukemic cells from 32 of 56 patients with CLL. In all patients in whom at least 20 percent of the leukemic cells were positive for ZAP-70, IgVH was unmutated, whereas IgVH mutations were found in 21 of 24 patients in whom less than 20 percent of the leukemic cells were positive for ZAP-70 (P<0.001). Concordant results were obtained when ZAP-70 expression was assessed by immunohistochemistry or Western blotting. The level of ZAP-70 expression did not change over time (median, 37 months) in sequential samples from 30 patients with CLL. Patients with Binet stage A CLL who had at least 20 percent ZAP-70-positive leukemic cells had more rapid progression and poorer survival than those with less than 20 percent ZAP-70-positive cells. CONCLUSIONS: Among patients with CLL, expression of ZAP-70, as detected by flow-cytometric analysis, correlated with IgVH mutational status, disease progression, and survival. Copyright 2003 Massachusetts Medical Society PMID: 12724482 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]