Use

Determines the mutation status of IgVH gene in B lymphocytes, including those of CLL (chronic lymphocytic leukemia). The IgVH gene mutation status is one of the discriminators of clinical outcome in patients with CLL. The mutational status of the immunoglobulin genes expressed by CLL cells can be used to segregate patients into two subsets that have significantly different tendencies for disease progression. Patients with leukemic cells that express unmutated immunoglobulin heavy-chain variable region genes have a greater tendency for disease progression than those who have leukemic cells that express IgVH genes with less than 98% nucleic acid homology with their germ-line counterparts.