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RAS mutations are frequent in FAB type M4 and M5 of acute myeloid leukemia, and related to late relapse: a study of the Japanese Childhood AML Cooperative Study Group

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Abstract

Mutations in RAS are frequent in acute myeloid leukemia (AML), and are thought to contribute to leukemogenesis in a subset of patients; however, their prognostic significance has not been firmly established. One hundred and fifty-seven pediatric patients with AML were analyzed for NRAS and KRAS mutations around hot spots at codons 12, 13, and 61. Twenty-nine patients (18.5%) had an activating mutation of RAS. We found KRAS mutations to be more frequent than NRAS mutations (18/29, 62.1% of patients with RAS mutation), in contrast to previous reports (18–40%). The frequency of RAS mutation was higher in French-American-British types M4 and M5 than other types (P = 0.02). There were no significant differences in other clinical manifestations or distribution in cytogenetic subgroups, or aberrations of other genes, including KIT mutation, FLT3-ITD, and MLL-PTD, between patients with and without RAS mutations. No significant differences were observed in the 3-year overall survival and disease-free survival; however, the presence of RAS mutation was related to late relapse. The occurrence of clinical events at relatively late period should be monitored for in AML patients with mutations in RAS.

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Acknowledgments

Committee members of the Japanese Childhood AML Cooperative Study Group who contributed data to this study include Akira Morimoto, Department of Pediatrics, Kyoto Prefectural University of Medicine; Hiromasa Yabe, Department of Pediatrics, Tokai University School of Medicine; Kazuko Hamamoto, Department of Pediatrics, Hiroshima Red Cross Hospital; Shigeru Tsuchiya, Department of Pediatric Oncology, Institute of Development, Aging and Cancer, Tohoku University; Yuichi Akiyama, Department of Pediatrics, National Hospital Organization Kyoto Medical Center; Hisato Kigasawa, Department of Hematology, Kanagawa Children’s Medical Center; Akira Ohara, First Department of Pediatrics, Toho University School of Medicine; Hideki Nakayama, Department of Pediatrics, Hamanomachi Hospital; Kazuko Kudo, Department of Pediatrics, Nagoya University Graduate School of Medicine; and Masue Imaizumi, Department of Hematology/Oncology, Miyagi Prefectural Children’s Hospital. This work was supported by a grant for Cancer Research and a grant for Research on Children and Families from the Ministry of Health, Labour, and Welfare of Japan, a Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (B, C) and Exploratory Research from the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science, and Technology of Japan, and by a Research grant for Gunma Prefectural Hospitals.

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There is no conflict of interest.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Hematology/Oncology, Gunma Children’s Medical Center, 779 Shimohakoda, Hokkitsu, Shibukawa, Gunma, 377-8577, Japan

    Hirozumi Sano, Akira Shimada, Chisato Murata, Myoung-ja Park, Manabu Sotomatsu & Yasuhide Hayashi

  2. Department of Molecular Diagnostics and Therapeutics, Kyoto Prefectural University of Medicine, Graduate School of Medical Science, 465 Kajii-cho, Kawaramachi-Hirokoji, Kamigyo-ku, Kyoto, 602-8566, Japan

    Tomohiko Taki

  3. Department of Hematology, Kanagawa Children’s Medical Center, 2-138-4 Mutsugawa, Minami-ku, Yokohama, Kanagawa, 232-8555, Japan

    Ken Tabuchi

  4. Department of Pediatrics, National Hospital Organization Osaka National Hospital, 2-1-14 Hoenzaka, Chuo-ku, Osaka, 540-0006, Japan

    Akio Tawa

  5. Department of Pediatrics, Sapporo Hokuyu Hospital, 6-6-5-1 Higashi-Sapporo, Shiroishi-ku, Sapporo, 003-0006, Japan

    Ryoji Kobayashi

  6. Clinical Research Center, National Hospital Organization Nagoya Medical Center, 4-1-1 Sannomaru, Nakaku, Nagoya, Aichi, 460-0001, Japan

    Keizo Horibe

  7. Department of Pediatrics, Ibaraki Children’s Hospital, 3-3-1 Futabadai, Mito, Ibaraki, 311-4145, Japan

    Masahiro Tsuchida

  8. Division of Hematology/Oncology, Saitama Children’s Medical Center, 2100 Magome, Iwatsuki-ku, Saitama, 339-8551, Japan

    Ryoji Hanada

  9. First Department of Pediatrics, Toho University School of Medicine, 6-11-1, Omori-nishi, Ota-ku, Tokyo, 143-8541, Japan

    Ichiro Tsukimoto

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  1. Hirozumi Sano
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  2. Akira Shimada
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  13. Ichiro Tsukimoto
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  14. Yasuhide Hayashi
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Correspondence to Yasuhide Hayashi.

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Sano, H., Shimada, A., Taki, T. et al. RAS mutations are frequent in FAB type M4 and M5 of acute myeloid leukemia, and related to late relapse: a study of the Japanese Childhood AML Cooperative Study Group. Int J Hematol 95, 509–515 (2012). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12185-012-1033-x

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12185-012-1033-x

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