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Mutations in the BRAF and N-ras genes in childhood acute lymphoblastic leukaemia

Leukemia volume 19, pages 310–312 (2005)Cite this article

TO THE EDITOR

Although cure rates in childhood acute lymphoblastic leukaemia (ALL) have improved with a current long-term event-free 5-year survival of 80%, the role of molecular aberrations on the prognosis of leukaemia remains to be understood. Cytogenetic abnormalities in leukaemic cells can be detected in 90% of all cases, and aberrations such as hyperploidy and translocation t(12;21) are in many cases associated with a good prognostic outcome. Some aberrations are, however, associated with inferior outcome, such as hyperdiploidy, t(9;22) and t(4;11). Loss of p15INK4b and p16INK4a expression is frequent in childhood ALL and p53 mutations are seen in more aggressive ALL, but those are not yet established as prognostic factors.1

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Acknowledgements

We thank Birgitta Axelsson, Department of Laboratory Medicine, Division of Pathology, Karolinska University Hospital, Sweden for excellent technical assistance. The study was supported by grants from the Swedish Children's Cancer Foundation.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Pediatrics, Karolinska Institute, Karolinska University Hospital, Huddinge, Sweden

    B Gustafsson

  2. Department of Biosciences, Karolinska Institute, Novum, Huddinge, Sweden

    S Angelini, K Hemminki & R Kumar

  3. Department of Laboratory Medicine, Division of Pathology, Karolinska Institute, Karolinska University Hospital, Huddinge, Sweden

    B Sander & B Christensson

  4. Division of Molecular Genetic Epidemiology, German Cancer Research Center, Im Neuenheimer Feld 580, Heidelberg, Germany

    K Hemminki & R Kumar

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  1. B Gustafsson
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  2. S Angelini
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  4. B Christensson
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  5. K Hemminki
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  6. R Kumar
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Correspondence to R Kumar.

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Gustafsson, B., Angelini, S., Sander, B. et al. Mutations in the BRAF and N-ras genes in childhood acute lymphoblastic leukaemia. Leukemia 19, 310–312 (2005). https://doi.org/10.1038/sj.leu.2403589

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/sj.leu.2403589

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