Divergence from the germ-line sequence in unmutated chronic lymphocytic leukemia is due to somatic mutation rather than polymorphisms

Abstract

Division of chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) into 2 subsets, with and without mutations of the IgVH genes, has important prognostic significance. The unmutated subset, with an inferior prognosis, was originally defined by 98% or more homology to the germ-line sequence based on the observation that