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Feasibility of BAALC gene expression for detection of minimal residual disease and risk stratification in normal karyotype acute myeloid leukaemia
Author(s) -
Weber Simone,
Haferlach Torsten,
Alpermann Tamara,
Perglerová Karolína,
Schnittger Susanne,
Haferlach Claudia,
Kern Wolfgang
Publication year - 2016
Publication title -
british journal of haematology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.907
H-Index - 186
eISSN - 1365-2141
pISSN - 0007-1048
DOI - 10.1111/bjh.14343
Subject(s) - minimal residual disease , oncology , medicine , induction chemotherapy , chemotherapy , karyotype , cytogenetics , immunology , leukemia , biology , gene , genetics , chromosome
Summary High BAALC gene expression has been associated with poor prognosis in cytogenetically normal acute myeloid leukaemia (CN‐AML) and has been suggested as a suitable marker for assessing minimal residual disease ( MRD ). The purpose of this study was to substantiate these findings by the analysis of a large data set of 632 diagnostic and follow‐up samples in 142 intensively treated CN ‐ AML patients. Paired diagnostic/relapse samples of 35 patients revealed stable high BAALC expression in 89%, irrespective of a high proportion of clonal evolution found in 49% of these cases. High BAALC expression, both directly after induction chemotherapy and within 3–6 months after induction chemotherapy, correlated significantly with shorter event‐free survival and overall survival. Moreover, 8 of 10 patients displaying high BAALC expression levels after completion of induction therapy as well as 5 of 5 patients exhibiting high BAALC expression levels within 3–6 months after induction chemotherapy experienced relapse with a median of 197 and 101 days, respectively, from sampling to relapse. Thus, BAALC expression‐based MRD detection during therapy may be considered a strategy to identify patients at high risk of relapse.