Among other demographic and prognostic parameters, CD38 status (HR=10.8; P=0.006) was associated with TTT, but age (P=0.62) and sex (P=0.99) were not(19). Because of an insufficient number of patients with ZAP-70, IGHV gene mutation status, or FISH analysis, the authors were unable to correlate these variables with TTT or OS. Taken together, the rate of progression from MBL to CLL requiring treatment during the first 5 years of follow-up was approximately 1.4% per year in this retrospective study of 302 patients. Primary indications for treatment for the MBL patients in this series were progressive lymphadenopathy (n=2), marrow failure/cytopenia (n=3), progressive lymphocytosis (n=1), and autoimmune hemolytic anemia (n=1).(19)
