Prognostic significance of, and gene and microRNA expression signatures associated with, CEBPA mutations in cytogenetically normal acute myeloid leukemia with high-risk molecular features: a Cancer and Leukemia Group B Study.
OBJECTIVE
To evaluate the prognostic significance of CEBPA mutations in the context of established molecular markers in cytogenetically normal (CN) acute myeloid leukemia (AML) and gain biologic insights into leukemogenesis of the CN-AML molecular high-risk subset (FLT3 internal tandem duplication [ITD] positive and/or NPM1 wild type) that has a significantly higher incidence of CEBPA mutations than the molecular low-risk subset (FLT3-ITD negative and NPM1 mutated).


METHODS
One hundred seventy-five adults age less than 60 years with untreated primary CN-AML were screened before treatment for CEBPA, FLT3, MLL, WT1, and NPM1 mutations and BAALC and ERG expression levels. Gene and microRNA (miRNA) expression profiles were obtained for the CN-AML molecular high-risk patients.


RESULTS
CEBPA mutations predicted better event-free (P = .007), disease-free (P = .014), and overall survival (P < .001) independently of other molecular and clinical prognosticators. Among patients with CEBPA mutations, 91% were in the CN-AML molecular high-risk group. Within this group, CEBPA mutations predicted better event-free (P < .001), disease-free (P = .004), and overall survival (P = .009) independently of other molecular and clinical characteristics and were associated with unique gene and miRNA expression profiles. The major features of these profiles were upregulation of genes (eg, GATA1, ZFPM1, EPOR, and GFI1B) and miRNAs (ie, the miR-181 family) involved in erythroid differentiation and downregulation of homeobox genes.


CONCLUSIONS
Pretreatment testing for CEBPA mutations identifies CN-AML patients with different outcomes, particularly in the molecular high-risk group, thus improving molecular risk-based classification of this large cytogenetic subset of AML. The gene and miRNA expression profiling provided insights into leukemogenesis of the CN-AML molecular high-risk group, indicating that CEBPA mutations are associated with partial erythroid differentiation.
Marcucci
Guido
G
Division of Hematology and Oncology, Department of Internal Medicine, Comprehensive Cancer Center, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH 43210, USA. guido.marcucci@osumc.edu
Maharry
Kati
K
Radmacher
Michael D
MD
Mrózek
Krzysztof
K
Vukosavljevic
Tamara
T
Paschka
Peter
P
Whitman
Susan P
SP
Langer
Christian
C
Baldus
Claudia D
CD
Liu
Chang-Gong
CG
Ruppert
Amy S
AS
Powell
Bayard L
BL
Carroll
Andrew J
AJ
Caligiuri
Michael A
MA
Kolitz
Jonathan E
JE
Larson
Richard A
RA
Bloomfield
Clara D
CD
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor / Q000235:genetics*; D022762:CCAAT-Enhancer-Binding Proteins / Q000235:genetics*; D018572:Disease-Free Survival; D005260:Female; D020869:Gene Expression Profiling; D015973:Gene Expression Regulation, Leukemic; D011495:Histone-Lysine N-Methyltransferase; D006801:Humans; D015470:Leukemia, Myeloid, Acute / Q000235:genetics* / Q000401:mortality / Q000628:therapy; D008297:Male; D035683:MicroRNAs / Q000032:analysis*; D008875:Middle Aged; D009154:Mutation; D051788:Myeloid-Lymphoid Leukemia Protein / Q000235:genetics; D009363:Neoplasm Proteins / Q000235:genetics; D009687:Nuclear Proteins / Q000235:genetics; D000090243:Nucleophosmin; D018570:Risk Assessment; D013997:Time Factors; D015534:Trans-Activators / Q000235:genetics; D000071230:Transcriptional Regulator ERG; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D025721:WT1 Proteins / Q000235:genetics; D051941:fms-Like Tyrosine Kinase 3 / Q000235:genetics
C442828:BAALC protein, human; D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor; D022762:CCAAT-Enhancer-Binding Proteins; C515848:CEBPA protein, human; C072312:ERG protein, human; C497422:KMT2A protein, human; D035683:MicroRNAs; C000716967:NPM1 protein, human; D009363:Neoplasm Proteins; D009687:Nuclear Proteins; D015534:Trans-Activators; D000071230:Transcriptional Regulator ERG; D025721:WT1 Proteins; D000090243:Nucleophosmin; D051788:Myeloid-Lymphoid Leukemia Protein; D011495:Histone-Lysine N-Methyltransferase; C497970:FLT3 protein, human; D051941:fms-Like Tyrosine Kinase 3