A comparative study of molecular mutations in 381 patients with myelodysplastic syndrome and in 4130 patients with acute myeloid leukemia.
OBJECTIVE
The precise relationship between myelodysplastic syndrome (MDS) and acute myeloid leukemia (AML) is unclear and the role of molecular mutations in leukemic transformation in MDS is controversial. The aim of this study was to clarify the relationship between AML and MDS by comparing the frequency of molecular mutations in the two conditions.


METHODS
We compared the frequency of FLT3-length mutations (FLT3-LM), FLT3-TKD, MLL-partial tandem duplications (MLL-PTD), NRAS, and KITD816 in 381 patients with MDS refractory anemia with excess blasts [RAEB] n=49; with ringed sideroblasts [RARS] n=310; chronic monomyelocytic leukemia [CMML] n=22) and in 4130 patients with AML (de novo: n=3139; secondary AML [s-AML] following MDS: n=397; therapy-related [t-AML]: n=233; relapsed: n=361).


RESULTS
All mutations were more frequent in s-AML than in MDS and all but the FLT3-TKD were more frequent in RAEB than in RA/RARS. The higher incidences in s-AML were significant for FLT3-TKD (p=0.032), MLL-PTD (p=0.034), and FLT3-LM (RA/RARS: 0/45; RAEB: 8/293; 2.7%; s-AML: 45/389; 11.6%; p<0.0001). The incidence of NRAS-mutations increased from 17/272 (6.3%) in MDS to 41/343 in s-AML (12.0%) and that of KITD816-mutations from 2/290 (0.7%) to 5/341 (1.5%) (p=n.s.). FLT3-LM-acquisition occurred in 3/22 cases (13.6%) during MDS transformation; NRAS-acquisition occurred in 1/24 (4.2%). FLT3-LM and MLL-PTD were more frequent in AML relapse than in de novo AML or s-AML (p<0.0001).


CONCLUSIONS
The increase of molecular mutations from low- to high-risk MDS, to s-AML, and to relapsed AML emphasizes the value of these mutations as markers of progressing disease. Finally, we found a low rate of 5q- in the molecularly mutated cases in MDS which might explain the stability of this subtype.
Bacher
Ulrike
U
Bone Marrow Transplant Unit, University Hospital of Hamburg-Eppendorf, Hamburg, Germany.
Haferlach
Torsten
T
Kern
Wolfgang
W
Haferlach
Claudia
C
Schnittger
Susanne
S
D000208:Acute Disease; D018450:Disease Progression; D005787:Gene Frequency; D011495:Histone-Lysine N-Methyltransferase; D006801:Humans; D007951:Leukemia, Myeloid / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000235:genetics*; D017720:Molecular Epidemiology; D009154:Mutation; D009190:Myelodysplastic Syndromes / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000235:genetics*; D051788:Myeloid-Lymphoid Leukemia Protein / Q000235:genetics; D019009:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-kit / Q000235:genetics; D051941:fms-Like Tyrosine Kinase 3 / Q000235:genetics; D018631:ras Proteins / Q000235:genetics
C497422:KMT2A protein, human; D051788:Myeloid-Lymphoid Leukemia Protein; D011495:Histone-Lysine N-Methyltransferase; C497970:FLT3 protein, human; D019009:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-kit; D051941:fms-Like Tyrosine Kinase 3; D018631:ras Proteins