FLT3 mutations in early T-cell precursor ALL characterize a stem cell like leukemia and imply the clinical use of tyrosine kinase inhibitors.
Early T-cell precursor acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ETP-ALL) has been identified as high-risk subgroup of acute T-lymphoblastic leukemia (T-ALL) with a high rate of FLT3-mutations in adults. To unravel the underlying pathomechanisms and the clinical course we assessed molecular alterations and clinical characteristics in a large cohort of ETP-ALL (n = 68) in comparison to non-ETP T-ALL adult patients. Interestingly, we found a high rate of FLT3-mutations in ETP-ALL samples (n = 24, 35%). Furthermore, FLT3 mutated ETP-ALL was characterized by a specific immunophenotype (CD2+/CD5-/CD13+/CD33-), a distinct gene expression pattern (aberrant expression of IGFBP7, WT1, GATA3) and mutational status (absence of NOTCH1 mutations and a low frequency, 21%, of clonal TCR rearrangements). The observed low GATA3 expression and high WT1 expression in combination with lack of NOTCH1 mutations and a low rate of TCR rearrangements point to a leukemic transformation at the pluripotent prothymocyte stage in FLT3 mutated ETP-ALL. The clinical outcome in ETP-ALL patients was poor, but encouraging in those patients with allogeneic stem cell transplantation (3-year OS: 74%). To further explore the efficacy of targeted therapies, we demonstrate that T-ALL cell lines transfected with FLT3 expression constructs were particularly sensitive to tyrosine kinase inhibitors. In conclusion, FLT3 mutated ETP-ALL defines a molecular distinct stem cell like leukemic subtype. These data warrant clinical studies with the implementation of FLT3 inhibitors in addition to early allogeneic stem cell transplantation for this high risk subgroup.
Charité, University Hospital Berlin, Campus Benjamin Franklin, Department of Hematology and Oncology, Berlin, Germany.
Martin
M
Neumann
Ebru
E
Coskun
Lars
L
Fransecky
Liliana H
LH
Mochmann
Isabelle
I
Bartram
Nasrin Farhadi
NF
Sartangi
Sandra
S
Heesch
Nicola
N
Gökbuget
Stefan
S
Schwartz
Christian
C
Brandts
Cornelia
C
Schlee
Rainer
R
Haas
Ulrich
U
Dührsen
Martin
M
Griesshammer
Hartmut
H
Döhner
Gerhard
G
Ehninger
Thomas
T
Burmeister
Olga
O
Blau
Eckhard
E
Thiel
Dieter
D
Hoelzer
Wolf-Karsten
WK
Hofmann
Claudia D
CD
Baldus
D000328:Adult; D000970:Antineoplastic Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D017209:Apoptosis; D045744:Cell Line, Tumor; D049109:Cell Proliferation; D006801:Humans; D009154:Mutation; D054218:Precursor T-Cell Lymphoblastic Leukemia-Lymphoma / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000235:genetics*; D047428:Protein Kinase Inhibitors / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D011505:Protein-Tyrosine Kinases / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors*; D051941:fms-Like Tyrosine Kinase 3 / Q000235:genetics*
D000970:Antineoplastic Agents; D047428:Protein Kinase Inhibitors; C497970:FLT3 protein, human; D011505:Protein-Tyrosine Kinases; D051941:fms-Like Tyrosine Kinase 3