The relevance of sequence insertions in the Mcl-1 promoter in chronic lymphocytic leukemia and in normal cells

Abstract

We measured the frequency of insertions in the Mcl-1 promoter in chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) and in normal individuals. Insertions were found in 37/54 (69%) of the CLL samples. However, insertions were not associated with prognostic markers and were also detected in 38/66 (58%) of normal controls and in normal cells isolated from CLL patients. Thus, Mcl-1 insertions are not acquired during leukemogenesis and are unlikely to play an important role in this disease.