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Acute Leukemias

Characterization of NPM1-mutated AML with a history of myelodysplastic syndromes or myeloproliferative neoplasms

Leukemia volume 25, pages 615–621 (2011)Cite this article

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Abstract

The role of the nucleophosmin (NPM1) mutations in de novo acute myeloid leukemia (AML) is well analyzed, but the impact in secondary AML (s-AML) following myelodysplastic syndromes (MDS) or transformed myeloproliferative neoplasms (MPNs) remains unclear. We investigated 350 patients—283 s-AML after MDS and 67 transformed MPNs—for NPM1mut. NPM1mut was detected in 43/350 patients (12.3%) at diagnosis of s-AML (transformed MDS: 37/283; 13.1%; transformed MPNs: 6/67; 9.0%). Cytogenetic alterations were present in 12/40 cases (30.0%) with available karyotypes. Additional molecular mutations were found in 23/43 NPM1mut s-AML after MDS (53.5%) and in transformed MPN in 18/37 (48.6%): FLT3-ITD: 14/37 (37.8%); FLT3-TKD: 3/28 (10.7%); NRASmut: 4/37 (10.8%), RUNX1mut: 1/16 (6.3%). In NPM1mut-transformed MPNs, five out of six cases showed 1–2 additional molecular mutations (2 × KITD816V, ETV6-PDGFRB, 2 × JAK2V617F, 2 × FLT3-ITD). Backtracking of nine of these cases by quantitative real time PCR showed the NPM1mut already at diagnosis of MDS/MPN, at variable levels and up to 14 months before diagnosis of AML, and at transformation often being preceded or accompanied by other genetic alterations. Thus, NPM1 mutations are involved in the transformation from MDS to AML or MPN to blast phase in single cases, which should be further confirmed in larger studies.

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Acknowledgements

We thank Professor Brunangelo Falini (Institute of Hematology, University of Perugia) for fruitful discussion of the manuscript.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. MLL Munich Leukemia Laboratory, Munich, Germany

    S Schnittger, C Haferlach, T Alpermann, F Dicker, J Sundermann, W Kern & T Haferlach

  2. Department for Stem Cell Transplantation, University Cancer Center Hamburg, Hamburg, Germany

    U Bacher

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  1. S Schnittger
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Correspondence to S Schnittger.

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SS, CH, WK and TH are part owners of the Munich Leukemia Laboratory. TA, FD and JS are employed by the MLL. UB has nothing to disclose.

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Schnittger, S., Bacher, U., Haferlach, C. et al. Characterization of NPM1-mutated AML with a history of myelodysplastic syndromes or myeloproliferative neoplasms. Leukemia 25, 615–621 (2011). https://doi.org/10.1038/leu.2010.299

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