title: Molecular analysis of t(11;19) breakpoints in childhood acute leukemias.
abstract: MLL is fused to ENL or ELL in acute leukemias that contain t(ll;19)(q23;p13). Although ENL and ELL localize to chromosome 19, bands p13.3 and p13.1, respectively, these breakpoints are not always readily distinguished by standard cytogenetics. We therefore used reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) assays to analyze 26 cases of childhood acute leukemia containing t(11;19) to determine the frequencies of ENL and ELL involvement. All 17 cases of acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) had MLL/ENL fusion transcripts. By contrast, of the 9 cases of acute myeloid leukemia (AML) analyzed, 6 had MLL/ENL fusions, 2 had MLL/ELL fusions, and 1 case had no RT-PCR-detectable MLL fusion mRNA. These data suggest that the majority of 11;19 translocations involve ENL, whereas involvement of ELL is relatively uncommon in childhood acute leukemia and may be restricted to AML.
authors.affiliation: Department of Hematology/Oncology, St. Jude Children'sResearch Hospital, Memphis, TN 38105, USA.
authors.forename: J E
authors.initials: JE
authors.lastname: Rubnitz
authors.forename: F G
authors.initials: FG
authors.lastname: Behm
authors.forename: A M
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: Curcio-Brint
authors.forename: R P
authors.initials: RP
authors.lastname: Pinheiro
authors.forename: A J
authors.initials: AJ
authors.lastname: Carroll
authors.forename: S C
authors.initials: SC
authors.lastname: Raimondi
authors.forename: S A
authors.initials: SA
authors.lastname: Shurtleff
authors.forename: J R
authors.initials: JR
authors.lastname: Downing
mesh_terms: D000208:Acute Disease; D000293:Adolescent; D001483:Base Sequence; D002051:Burkitt Lymphoma / Q000235:genetics / Q000473:pathology; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D002880:Chromosomes, Human, Pair 11 / Q000235:genetics / Q000648:ultrastructure*; D002888:Chromosomes, Human, Pair 19 / Q000235:genetics / Q000648:ultrastructure*; D004273:DNA, Neoplasm / Q000235:genetics; D004268:DNA-Binding Proteins / Q000235:genetics*; D005260:Female; D011495:Histone-Lysine N-Methyltransferase; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D007938:Leukemia / Q000235:genetics* / Q000473:pathology; D007951:Leukemia, Myeloid / Q000235:genetics / Q000473:pathology; D015459:Leukemia-Lymphoma, Adult T-Cell / Q000235:genetics / Q000473:pathology; D008297:Male; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D051788:Myeloid-Lymphoid Leukemia Protein; D009363:Neoplasm Proteins; D014411:Neoplastic Stem Cells / Q000473:pathology; D009687:Nuclear Proteins / Q000235:genetics*; D015514:Oncogene Proteins, Fusion / Q000235:genetics*; D010445:Peptide Elongation Factors; D054198:Precursor Cell Lymphoblastic Leukemia-Lymphoma / Q000235:genetics / Q000473:pathology; D011519:Proto-Oncogenes; D014157:Transcription Factors / Q000235:genetics*; D035602:Transcriptional Elongation Factors; D014178:Translocation, Genetic
chemical_list: D004273:DNA, Neoplasm; D004268:DNA-Binding Proteins; C090862:ELL protein, human; C497422:KMT2A protein, human; C081448:MLLT1 protein, human; D009363:Neoplasm Proteins; D009687:Nuclear Proteins; D015514:Oncogene Proteins, Fusion; D010445:Peptide Elongation Factors; D014157:Transcription Factors; D035602:Transcriptional Elongation Factors; D051788:Myeloid-Lymphoid Leukemia Protein; D011495:Histone-Lysine N-Methyltransferase