Prognostic significance of the TEL-AML1 fusion gene in pediatric acute lymphoblastic leukemia in Turkey.
OBJECTIVE
The t(12;21) translocation is the most common reciprocal chromosomal rearrangement in pediatric acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL). This translocation fuses two genes, TEL and AML1, and results in the production of the TEL-AML1 fusion protein. The authors investigated the incidence and prognostic significance of the TEL-AML1 fusion gene in patients with ALL in Turkey.


METHODS
The authors analyzed 219 children with ALL using the reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction.


RESULTS
The TEL-AML1 fusion transcript was detected in 20.1% (44/219) of newly diagnosed children with ALL. -positive patients had precursor B-cell ALL and were 3 to 10 years old at diagnosis. -positive patients had a significantly lower rate of relapse compared with -negative patients. -positive patients have a higher overall survival rate than -negative patients.


CONCLUSIONS
These data support that the presence of at diagnosis is an independent favorable prognostic indicator in patients with ALL in Turkey.
Ozbek
Ugur
U
Department of Genetics, Institute for experimental Medial Research, Istanbul University, Istanbul. uozbek@istanbul.edu.tr
Sirma
Sema
S
Agaoglu
Leyla
L
Yuksel
Lebriz
L
Anak
Sema
S
Yildiz
Inci
I
Devecioglu
Omer
O
Timur
Cetin
C
Meral
Adalet
A
Gedikoglu
Gunduz
G
D000293:Adolescent; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D050676:Core Binding Factor Alpha 2 Subunit; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D016130:Immunophenotyping; D007223:Infant; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D008297:Male; D015514:Oncogene Proteins, Fusion / Q000235:genetics*; D054198:Precursor Cell Lymphoblastic Leukemia-Lymphoma / Q000235:genetics* / Q000401:mortality; D011379:Prognosis; D015996:Survival Rate; D014421:Turkey; D000097764:ETS Translocation Variant 6 Protein
D050676:Core Binding Factor Alpha 2 Subunit; D015514:Oncogene Proteins, Fusion; C102421:TEL-AML1 fusion protein; D000097764:ETS Translocation Variant 6 Protein