Skip to main content

Thank you for visiting nature.com. You are using a browser version with limited support for CSS. To obtain the best experience, we recommend you use a more up to date browser (or turn off compatibility mode in Internet Explorer). In the meantime, to ensure continued support, we are displaying the site without styles and JavaScript.

  • Comments on a Published Paper
  • Published:

Response to Cuneo et al

Leukemia volume 17, page 477 (2003)Cite this article

TO THE EDITOR

We were interested to read the correspondence from Cuneo et al in which they report the results of their screening program for ETV6/AML1 among adults with acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) using RT-PCR and FISH. Among nine studies of ETV6/AML1 in adult ALL, five have reported incidences of 3.2%,1 0.8%,2 3%,3 3.3%4 and 4.4%,5 while four (including Cuneo et al) have failed to identify any cases with the fusion.6,7,8 In our continuing interphase FISH screening program we have now examined a total of 307 unselected and consecutive de novo adult patients with ALL and have found a total of eight to be positive for the ETV6/AML1 fusion. Thus, in this larger series the estimated incidence is reduced from 4.4% to 2.6%. Cuneo et al discuss the possibility that the reported variation in incidence of the fusion gene may be due to geographic heterogeneity in the genotype of adult ALL. Overall, too few cases have been screened to accurately determine a true difference. One important consideration is that the base populations are not comparable in terms of immunophenotype and age. ETV6/AML1 has only been described in B cell precursor ALL and, while some studies have restricted their series accordingly, many have included T-ALL cases which have accounted for a variable proportion of the total (13% to 30%). Furthermore, given that the majority of adults with the ETV/AML1 fusion are under 20 years old, it is important to ensure that the age profiles of the studies are similar. These differences could be contributing to the variation in incidence observed between the studies. Standardization of the denominator and screening of further patients will result in the emergence of an accurate and consensual estimate of the true incidence of ETV6/AML1 in adult ALL.

This is a preview of subscription content, access via your institution

Access options

Buy this article

  • Purchase on Springer Link
  • Instant access to full article PDF
Buy now

Prices may be subject to local taxes which are calculated during checkout

References

  1. Cayuela JM, Baruchel A, Orange C, Madani A, Auclerc MF, Daniel MT, Schaison G, Sigaux F . TEL-AML1 fusion RNA as a new target to detect minimal residual disease in pediatric B-cell precursor acute lymphoblastic leukemia. Blood 1996; 88: 302–308.

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  2. Raynaud S, Mauvieux L, Cayuela JM, Bastard C, BilhouNabera C, Debuire B, Bories D, Boucheix C, Charrin C, Fiere D, Gabert J . TEL/AML1 fusion gene is a rare event in adult acute lymphoblastic leukemia. Leukemia 1996; 10: 1529–1530.

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  3. Aguiar RCT, Sohal J, vanRhee F, Carapeti M, Franklin IM, Goldstone AH, Goldman JM, Cross NCP . TEL-AML1 fusion in acute lymphoblastic leukaemia of adults. Br J Haematol 1996; 95: 673–677.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  4. Kwong YL, Wong KF . Low frequency of TEL/AML1 in adult acute lymphoblastic leukemia. Cancer Genet Cytogenet 1997; 98: 137–138.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  5. Jabbar Al Obaidi MS, Martineau M, Bennett CF, Franklin IM, Goldstone AH, Harewood L, Jalali GR, Prentice HG, Richards SM, Roberts K, Harrison CJ . ETV6/AML1 fusion by FISH in adult acute lymphoblastic leukemia. Leukemia 2002; 16: 669–674.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  6. Romana SP, Poirel H, Leconiat M, Flexor MA, Jonveaux MMP, Macintyre EA, Berger R, Bernard OA . High-frequency of t(12;21) in childhood B-lineage acute lymphoblastic-leukemia. Blood 1995; 86: 4263–4269.

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  7. Shih LY, Chou TB, Liang DC, Tzeng YS, Rubnitz JE, Downing JR, Pui CH . Lack of TEL-AML1 fusion transcript resulting from a cryptic t(12;21) in adult B lineage acute lymphoblastic leukemia in Taiwan. Leukemia 1996; 10: 1456–1458.

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  8. GarciaSanz R, Alaejos I, Orfao A, Rasillo A, Chillon MC, Tabernero MD, Mateos MV, Lopez-Perez R, Gonzalez D, Balanzategui A, Gonzalez M, SanMiguel JF . Low frequency of the TEL/AML1 fusion gene in acute lymphoblastic leukaemia in Spain. Br J Haematol 1999; 107: 667–669.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Cancer Sciences Division, LRF Cytogenetics Group, University of Southampton, Southampton, UK

    A V Moorman, M Martineau & C J Harrison

Authors
  1. A V Moorman
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. M Martineau
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. C J Harrison
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Moorman, A., Martineau, M. & Harrison, C. Response to Cuneo et al. Leukemia 17, 477 (2003). https://doi.org/10.1038/sj.leu.2402802

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/sj.leu.2402802

Search

Advanced search

Quick links