Cited by 341Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia ResearchLymphoma Diagnosis and TreatmentAcute Myeloid Leukemia Research

Clonal evolution leading to ibrutinib resistance in chronic lymphocytic leukemia

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Ahn, Inhye E., Underbayev, Chingiz, Albitar, Adam, Herman, Sarah E. M., Tian, Xin, Maric, Irina, Arthur, Diane C., Wake, Laura +12 more·2017·Blood

Abstract

Key Points: Most cases of ibrutinib-resistant CLL were due to mutations in BTK and/or PLCG2 and often composed of multiple independent subclones. High sensitivity testing identified resistance mutations up to 15 months before manifestation of clinical progression.

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Crossref · 10.1182/blood-2016-06-719294

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  • In published studies of disease progression during BTKi therapy, approximately 35% of patients were found to have a BTK mutation alone, an additional 10% had coexisting mutations in PLCG2, 5% had a PLCG2 mutation alone, and the remaining 50% were wild-type for BTK and PLCG2.

    “In published studies of disease progression during BTKi therapy,approximately 35% of patients were found to have aBTK mutation alone, an additional 10% had a coexisting mutations in PLCG2, 5% of cases had a PLCG2mutation alone, and the remaining 50% were wild-type (WT) for BTK and PLCG2 (Figure 2)(12, 19, 21–31).”

    From Resistance Mechanisms and Approach to Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia after BTK Inhibitor Therapy (2025) · cites this paper as [12]

    In “Resistance mutations at disease progression” (page unavailable), the paper reports BTK and/or PLCG2 mutations in 8 of 10 patients with progressive CLL, leaving 2 of 10 without detectable mutations—not the claimed 50% wild-type. Table 3 shows 5 of those 10 had both mutations, 1 had BTK alone, and 2 had PLCG2 alone. These proportions differ substantially from the percentages attributed to this source. (LLM, conf=0.88)

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  • Primary resistance, where a cBTKi fails to provide benefit, is uncommon and most often associated with Richter transformation.

    “Primary resistance,where a cBTKi fails to provide benefit, is uncommon and most often associated with Richter transformation(12, 13).”

    From Resistance Mechanisms and Approach to Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia after BTK Inhibitor Therapy (2025) · cites this paper as [12]

    The Discussion says transformation accounted for most early progression, and the Abstract reports transformation in 5 of 84 patients (6.0%). But the paper studies ibrutinib, not all covalent BTK inhibitors, and does not establish that these early progressions were primary resistance—failure to obtain benefit from treatment. (LLM, conf=0.85)

    Experimental — accuracy not yet measured
  • Duration of response with a BTKi is longer in settings where clonal complexity and evolutionary potential are lower, such as in treatment-naïve cases.

    “Duration of response with a BTKi is longer in settings where clonal complexity and evolutionary potential are lower, such as in treatment-naïve cases(12, 14, 17).”

    From Resistance Mechanisms and Approach to Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia after BTK Inhibitor Therapy (2025) · cites this paper as [12]

    The Progression-free survival section reports significantly shorter time to progression on ibrutinib in relapsed/refractory CLL than in treatment-naïve CLL, supporting longer disease control in the latter group. The paper does not establish that treatment-naïve cases have lower clonal complexity or evolutionary potential, or that those factors explain the difference. (LLM, conf=0.85)

    Experimental — accuracy not yet measured
  • Co-occurrence of BTK mutations within the same cell has not been demonstrated in patient samples.

    “However, co-occurrence of BTK mutations within the same cell has not been demonstrated in patient samples(12, 23).”

    From Resistance Mechanisms and Approach to Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia after BTK Inhibitor Therapy (2025) · cites this paper as [12]

    The Results and Discussion identify the distinct BTK mutations in patient PD9 as arising in separate subclones, not the same cell. The Discussion says the authors cannot exclude multiple mutations coexisting in a cell in other patients; it does not establish the broader claim that within-cell co-occurrence has never been demonstrated in patient samples. (LLM, conf=0.81)

    Experimental — accuracy not yet measured
  • In a study of 15 patients treated with ibrutinib, the VAF of BTK C481S ranged from 0.02 to 0.78.

    “For example, in astudy of 15 patients treated with ibrutinib,the VAF of BTK C481S ranged from 0.02 to 0.78(12).”

    From Resistance Mechanisms and Approach to Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia after BTK Inhibitor Therapy (2025) · cites this paper as [12]

    The Incidence and biology of progressive disease section reports that 15 of 84 ibrutinib-treated patients progressed; the study was not limited to 15 patients. Table 3 lists BTK C481S VAFs from 1.6% to 78.2%, approximately 0.02 to 0.78 when expressed as fractions and rounded. (LLM, conf=0.90)

    Experimental — accuracy not yet measured

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Cites

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Authors
Ahn, I. E., Underbayev, C., Albitar, A., Herman, S. E. M., Tian, X., Maric, I., Arthur, D. C., Wake, L., Pittaluga, S., Yuan, C. M., Stetler-Stevenson, M., Soto, S., Valdez, J., Nierman, P., Lotter, J., Xi, L., Raffeld, M., Farooqui, M., Albitar, M., & Wiestner, A.
Affiliations
  • National Cancer Institute (MY)
  • National Institutes of Health (US)
  • NeoGenomics (United States) (US)
  • National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (US)
  • Department of Laboratory Medicine, Clinical Center, and
  • Laboratory of Pathology, National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD
Corresponding author
  • Ahn, Inhye E.
  • Underbayev, Chingiz
Venue
Blood
Published
2017-03-16
Volume
129
Issue
11
Pages
1469-1479
ISSN
  • 0006-4971 (ISSN-L)
  • 1528-0020
OpenAlex
W2566053885
Cited by
341
References
4
Citations by year
2026: 10 · 2025: 17 · 2024: 36 · 2023: 40 · 2022: 27 · 2021: 58 · 2020: 40 · 2019: 53 · 2018: 35 · 2017: 23
FWCI
23.72
Type
journal article
Language
en
Open access
Locations
  • Blood (publishedVersion)
  • Europe PMC (PubMed Central) (publishedVersion)
  • PubMed Central (publishedVersion)
  • PubMed (publishedVersion)
Funders
  • National Institutes of Health
  • Pharmacyclics
  • National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute
  • National Cancer Institute
Topics
  • Health Sciences › Medicine › Genetics › Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia Research
  • Health Sciences › Medicine › Pathology and Forensic Medicine › Lymphoma Diagnosis and Treatment
  • Health Sciences › Medicine › Hematology › Acute Myeloid Leukemia Research
Keywords
ibrutinib resistance, chronic lymphocytic leukemia, clonal evolution, Bruton's tyrosine kinase, subclonal heterogeneity, disease progression, salvage therapy
MeSH terms
Agammaglobulinaemia Tyrosine Kinase, Adenine, Aged, Cell Transformation, Neoplastic, Follow-Up Studies, Humans, Piperidines, Protein-Tyrosine Kinases, Pyrazoles, Pyrimidines, Leukemia, Lymphocytic, Chronic, B-Cell, Disease Progression, Disease-Free Survival, Drug Resistance, Neoplasm, Phospholipase C gamma, Clonal Evolution

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