Beta-2-Microglobulin Maintains Overall Survival Prediction in Binet A Stage Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia Patients with Compromised Kidney Function in Both Treatment Eras of Chemoimmunotherapy and Targeted Agents

Abstract

Background: Elevated beta-2-microglobulin (B2M) plasma levels commonly imply a higher CLL-IPI risk category for short overall survival (OS), but the risk model was not adjusted for compromised kidney function and not validated in Binet A stage CLL patients. Methods: CLL patients were identified from 2000 to 2022 at Innsbruck University Hospital, Austria. B2M levels, CLL-IPI risk stratification, and kidney function were assessed. Treatment modalities in case of disease progression and OS data during follow-up were evaluated. Results: A total of 259 Binet A stage CLL patients were identified; 16.9% (n = 44/259) presented with concurrent chronic kidney disease (CKD, GFR < 60 mL/min). Median OS was 170 months and was similar in CKD and non-CKD patients (p = 0.25). The CLL-IPI facilitated prognostic segregation in both CKD (p = 0.02) and non-CKD patients (p = 0.008). Although more frequently elevated in CKD patients (44.1% versus 10.6%, p < 0.001), B2M > 3.5 mg/L remained associated with inferior OS in this subgroup (p = 0.03). Contrary to the CLL-IPI, the prognostic value of B2M alone was also maintained in CLL patients diagnosed and potentially treated frontline in the era of targeted agents (2014–2022, p = 0.03). Conclusions: B2M retains its prognostic value for OS in early-stage CLL patients with concurrent CKD and still represents a promising covariate for up-coming prognostic models to identify patients at high risk for inferior OS in the era of targeted agents.