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Acute Non Lymphocytic Leukemia

Characterization of fusion partner genes in 114 patients with de novo acute myeloid leukemia and MLL rearrangement

Leukemia volume 20, pages 218–223 (2006)Cite this article

Abstract

The fusion transcripts of MLL rearrangement [MLL(+)] in acute myeloid leukemia (AML) and their clinicohematologic correlation have not be well characterized in the previous studies. We used Southern blot analysis to screen MLL(+) in de novo AML. Reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction was used to detect the common MLL fusion transcripts. cDNA panhandle PCR was used to identify infrequent or unknown MLL partner genes. MLL(+) was identified in 114 (98 adults) of 988 AML patients. MLL fusion transcripts comprised of 63 partial tandem duplication of MLL (MLL-PTD), 14 MLL-AF9, 9 MLL-AF10, 9 MLL-ELL, 8 MLL-AF6, 4 MLL-ENL and one each of MLL-AF1, MLL-AF4, MLL-MSF, MLL-LCX, MLL-LARG, MLL-SEPT6 and MLL-CBL. The frequency of MLL-PTD was 7.1% in adults and 0.9% in children (P<0.001). 11q23 abnormalities were detected in 64% of MLL/t11q23 and in none of MLL-PTD by conventional cytogenetics. There were no differences in remission rate, event-free survival and overall survival between adult MLL-PTD and MLL/t11q23 groups. Adult patients had a significantly poorer outcome than children. The present study showed that cDNA panhandle PCR can identify all rare or novel MLL partner genes. MLL-PTD was rare in childhood AML. MLL(+) adults had a poor outcome with no difference in survival between MLL-PTD and MLL/t11q23 groups.

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Acknowledgements

We thank Dr Iou-Jih Hung, Dr Chao-Ping Yang and Dr Hung Chang for providing their patients’ samples. We also thank Ms Siew-Hoon Tech for the technical assistance, Ms Hsiu-I Wang for the statistical analysis and Ms Yu-Feng Wang for the secretarial assistance. This work was supported by NHRI-EX90-9011SL, NHRI-EX91-9011SL, NHRI-EX92-9011SL, NHRI-EX93-9011SL from the National Health Research Institute, Taiwan, Grant CMRP860 from Chang Gung Memorial Hospital, Taiwan, and Grant MMH-E-94009 from Mackay Memorial Hospital, Taiwan.

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  1. Division of Hematology-Oncology, Department of Internal Medicine, Chang Gung Memorial Hospital, Taipei, Taiwan

    L-y Shih, J-f Fu, J-h Wu, P-n Wang, T-l Lin, P Dunn, M-c Kuo, T-c Tang, T-h Lin & C-l Lai

  2. School of Medicine, Chang Gung University, Taoyuan, Taiwan

    L-y Shih & P Dunn

  3. Division of Pediatric Hematology-Oncology, Mackay Memorial Hospital, Taipei, Taiwan

    D-c Liang

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  1. L-y Shih
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Shih, Ly., Liang, Dc., Fu, Jf. et al. Characterization of fusion partner genes in 114 patients with de novo acute myeloid leukemia and MLL rearrangement. Leukemia 20, 218–223 (2006). https://doi.org/10.1038/sj.leu.2404024

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