Skip to main content
Log in

Clinical features of the most common fusion genes in childhood acute lymphoblastic leukemia

  • Original Paper
  • Published:
Medical Oncology Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Contemporary protocols ensure high-remission rate and long-term free survival in children with acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL), but small percentage of patients is still incurable. Molecular genetic methods helped to establish submicroscopic classification as well as minimal residual disease follow-up, considered to be responsible for relapse. Our study enrolled 70 pediatric patients with de novo ALL, analyzed using reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction for the presence of four major risk-stratifying translocations (BCR/ABL, MLL/AF4, TEL/AML1, and E2A/PBX1). Bone marrow samples were collected at diagnosis, at the end of induction phase, and after intensive chemotherapy with the aim to establish the correlation between chromosomal aberration, clinical features, and treatment response. Presenting the results of this study, we offer another evidence of variable incidence and clinical characteristics of ALL subtypes.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  1. Silverman LB, et al. Improved outcome for children with acute lymphoblastic leukemia: results of Dana-Faber Consortium Protocol 91–01. Blood. 2001;97:1211–8. doi:10.1182/blood.V97.5.1211.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  2. Mitelman F, Johansson B, Mertens F. The impact of translocations and gene fusions on cancer causation. Nat Rev Cancer. 2007;7(4):233–5. doi:10.1038/nrc2091.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  3. Jones LK, Saha V. Philadelphia positive acute lymphoblastic leukaemia of childhood. Br J Haematol. 2005;130:489–500. doi:10.1111/j.1365-2141.2005.05611.x.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  4. Pui Ch, et al. Clinical characteristics and treatment outcome of childhood lymphoblastic leukemia with t (4;11)(q21:q23): a collaborative study of 40 cases. Blood. 1991;77:440–7.

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  5. Zelent A, Greaves M, Enver T. Role of the TEL-AML1 fusion gene in the molecular pathogenesis of childhood acute lymphoblastic leukaemia. Oncogene. 2004;23:4275–83. doi:10.1038/sj.onc.1207672.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  6. Wiemels JL, et al. Site-specific translocation and evidence of postnatal origin of the t(1;19) E2A-PBX1 fusion in childhood acute lymphoblastic leukemia. Proc Natl Acad Sci USA. 2002;99:15101–6. doi:10.1073/pnas.222481199.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  7. Van Dongen JJM, et al. Standardized RT-PCR analysis of fusion gene transcripts from chromosome aberrations in acute leukemia for detection of minimal residual disease. Report of the BIOMED-1 Concerted Action: Investigation of minimal residual disease in acute leukemia. Leukemia. 1999;13:1901–28. doi:10.1038/sj/leu/2401592.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  8. Schlieben S, et al. Incidence and clinical outcome of children with BCR/ABL positive acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL). A prospective RT-PCR study based on 673 patients enrolled in the German pediatric multicenter therapy trials ALLBFM-90 and CoALL-05–92. Leukemia. 1996;10:957–63.

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  9. Gurbuxani S, et al. Detection of BCR/ABL transcripts in acute lymphoblastic leukemia in Indian patients. Leuk Res. 1998;22:77–80. doi:10.1016/S0145-2126(97)87415-2.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  10. Iqbal Z, Iqbal M, Akhter T. Frequency of BCR/ABL fusion oncogene in Pakistani Childhood acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL). Patients reflect ethnic differences in molecular genetics of ALL. J Pediatr Hematol Oncol. 2007;29:585. doi:10.1097/MPH.0b013e3180f61bcf.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  11. Silva ML, et al. M-BCR rearrangement in a case of T-cell childhood acute lymphoblastic leukemia. Med Pediatr Oncology. 1999;32:455–6. doi:10.1002/(SICI)1096-911X(199906)32:6<455::AID-MPO15>3.0.CO;2-S.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  12. Lo Nigro L, et al. Association of cytogenetic abnormalities with detection of BCR/ABL fusion transcripts in children with T-lineage lymphoproliferative diseases (T-ALL and T-NHL). Pediatr Blood Cancer. 2004;42:278–80. doi:10.1002/pbc.10453.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  13. Tchirkov A, et al. Molecular detection of a late-appearing BCR/ABL gene in a child with T-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia. Ann Hematol. 1998;77:55–9. doi:10.1007/s002770050412.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  14. Arico M, et al. Outcome of treatment in children with Philadelphia chromosome-positive acute lymphoblastic leukemia. N Engl J Med. 2000;342:998–1006. doi:10.1056/NEJM200004063421402.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  15. Saglio G, et al. Consistent amounts of acute leukemia-associated P190BCR/ABL transcripts are expressed by chronic myelogenous leukemia patients at diagnosis. Blood. 1996;87:1075–80.

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  16. Serrano J, et al. Molecular analysis of lineage-specific chimerism and minimal residual disease by RT-PCR of p210 (BCR-ABL) and p190 (BCR-ABL) after alogenic bone marrow transplantation for chronic myeloid leukemia: increasing mixed myeloid chimerism and p190 (BCR-ABL) detection precede cytogenetic relapse. Blood. 2000;95:2659–65.

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  17. Alvarado Y, Apostolidou E, Swords R, Giles FJ. Emerging therapeutic options for Philadelphia-positive acute lymphocytic leukemia. Expert Opin Emerg Drugs. 2007;12(1):165–79. doi:10.1517/14728214.12.1.165.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  18. Codrington R, et al. Analysis of ETV6/AML1 abnormalities in acute lymphoblastic leukemia: incidence, alternative spliced forms and minimal residual disease value. Br J Haematol. 2000;111:1071–9. doi:10.1046/j.1365-2141.2000.02464.x.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  19. Jimenez-Morales S, Miranda-Peralta E, Saldana-Alvarez Y. BCR-ABL, ETV6-RUNX1 and E2A-PBX1: prevalence of the most common acute lymphoblastic leukemia fusion genes in Mexican patients. Leuk Res. 2008;32:1518–22. doi:10.1016/j.leukres.2008.03.021.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  20. Borkhardt A, et al. Incidence and clinical relevance of TEL/AML1 fusion genes in children with acute lymphoblastic leukemia enrolled in the German and Italian multicenter therapy trials. Blood. 1997;90(2):571–7.

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  21. Shurtleff SA, et al. TEL/AML1 fusion resulting from a cryptic t(12;21) in the most common genetic lesion in pediatric ALL and defines a subgroup of patients with an excellent prognosis. Leukemia. 1995;9:1985–9.

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  22. Lanza C, et al. Persistence of E2A/PBX1 transcripts in t(l;19) childhood acute lymphoblastic leukemia: correlation with chemotherapy intensity and clinical outcome. Leuk Res. 1996;20(5):441–3. doi:10.1016/0145-2126(95)00115-8.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  23. Hunger SP, et al. E2A-PBX1 chimeric transcript status at end of consolidation in not predictive of treatment outcome in childhood acute lymphoblastic leukemias with t(1;19)(q23;p13), a Pediatric Oncology Group study. Blood. 1998;91:1021–8.

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  24. Mann G, Cazzaniga G, Van der Velden VHJ. Acute lymphoblastic leukemia with t(4;11) in children 1 year and older: The ‘big sister’ of the infant disease? Leukemia. 2007;21:642–6.

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  25. Garcia-Sanz R, et al. Low frequency of the TEL/AML1 fusion gene in acute lymphoblastic leukaemia in Spain. Br J Hematol. 1999;107:667–669. doi:10.1046/j.1365-2141.1999.01747.x.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

Download references

Acknowledgments

This work was supported by Ministry of Science, Republic of Serbia (Grant No. 143051).

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

Authors

Corresponding author

Correspondence to D. Janic.

Additional information

J. Lazic and N. Tosic equally contributed to the manuscript.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Lazic, J., Tosic, N., Dokmanovic, L. et al. Clinical features of the most common fusion genes in childhood acute lymphoblastic leukemia. Med Oncol 27, 449–453 (2010). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12032-009-9232-x

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12032-009-9232-x

Keywords

Navigation