Tumor Protein 53 Gene Mutations Without 17p13 Deletion Have No Significant Clinical Implications in Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia. Detection of a New Mutation

Abstract

Background: The tumor protein p53 (TP53) gene may be inactivated through 17p13 deletion, somatic mutations, or both. In chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) although 17p13 deletion is correlated with poor prognosis, the role of sole TP53 mutations remains controversial. Materials and Methods: We carried out a mutation analysis of TP53 gene in 72 patients with CLL. Results: Seventy-one (98.6%) patients carried the polymorphic site c.215C>G, p.Pro72Arg, but its presence was not correlated with overall survival (OS). Moreover, 19 (26.4%) patients carried a mutation of TP53. Among the eight detected mutations, to our knowledge, one (c.587G>A) has never been reported in the past. There was a correlation of the mutation burden with the stage of the disease (p=0.022), but not with OS. None of the detected mutations was individually correlated with OS. Conclusion. The clinical significance of TP53 mutations is still a matter of debate and larger studies and meta-analyses are required to reach an unequivocal conclusion.