Prognostic Value of Genetic Mutations in Patients with Acute Myeloid Leukemias: Results of a Cooperative Study of Hematology Clinics of Saint Petersburg (Russia) and Charite Clinic (Germany)

EV Motyko1, OV Blau2, LB Polushkina1, LS Martynenko1, MP Bakai1, NYu Tsybakova1, YuS Ruzhenkova1, EV Kleina1, NB Pavlenko1, AM Radzhabova1, EV Karyagina3, OS Uspenskaya4, SV Voloshin1, AV Chechetkin1, IS Martynkevich1

1 Russian Research Institute of Hematology and Transfusiology, 16 2-ya Sovetskaya str., Saint Petersburg, Russian Federation, 191024

2 Charite Clinic, Berlin Medical University, 30 Hindenburgdamm, Berlin, Germany, 12200

3 Municipal Hospital No. 15, 4 Avangardnaya str., Saint Petersburg, Russian Federation, 198205

4 Leningrad Regional Clinical Hospital, 45–49 Lunacharskogo pr-t, Saint Petersburg, Russian Federation, 194291

For correspondence: Ekaterina Vadimovna Motyko, PhD in Biology, 16 2-ya Sovetskaya str., Saint Petersburg, Russian Federation, 191024; Tel.: +7(812)925-05-62; e-mail: genetics.spb@mail.ru

For citation: Motyko EV, Blau OV, Polushkina LB, et al. Prognostic Value of Genetic Mutations in Patients with Acute Myeloid Leukemias: Results of a Cooperative Study of Hematology Clinics of Saint Petersburg (Russia) and Charite Clinic (Germany). Clinical oncohematology. 2019;12(2):211–9.

DOI: 10.21320/2500-2139-2019-12-2-211-219


ABSTRACT

Aim. To analyze the effect on prognosis of mutations that are typical of acute myeloid leukemia (AML) patients.

Materials & Methods. The study included 620 AML patients surveyed at Hematology Clinics of Saint Petersburg (Russia) and Charite Clinic (Berlin, Germany). G-banding of chromosomes was employed for cytogenetic testing. Aberration screening in DNMT3A, IDH1/2 genes was based on real-time polymerase chain reaction (PCR) with subsequent analysis of melting and sequencing profiles. Mutations in FLT3, NPM1 genes were revealed by PCR.

Results. Mutations were identified in 343 (55.3 %) out of 620 patients. Significantly more often mutations were discovered in patients with normal karyotype (NK) (= 0.001). FLT3-ITD mutation was associated with reduced medians of overall survival (OS) and disease-free (DFS) survival: 11.3 vs. 15.8 months with FLT3-ITD– (= 0.005) and 10.0 vs. 13.3 months with FLT3-ITD+ (= 0.009), respectively. The relation of FLT3-ITD allele burden to OS duration was also assessed. In the ITDlow/ITD– group the OS median was considerably longer than in the ITDhigh group (= 0.028). In the group of patients with 1 mutation in NPM1 gene OS and DFS were much better in comparison with other patients (medians of 27.4 and 13.9 months, respectively, = 0.040; 19.3 and 12.0 months, = 0.049). Negative impact of mutations in DNMT3A gene was noticed while assessing OS median: 12 (DNMT3A+) and 15 months (DNMT3A–), respectively (= 0.112). Mutations in IDH1 gene correlated with a better OS than in the group without mutations (= 0.092). The rs11554137 polymorphism in IDH1 gene was associated with worse OS in the group of patients with NK (= 0.186). In 144 patients various mutation combinations (from 2 to 5) were identified. It was demonstrated that mutations in FLT3 (FLT3-ITD), NPM1, DNMT3A, and IDH2 were identified significantly more often in combinations with other mutations (= 0.001): NPM1+/FLT3-ITD+ (20.8 %), NPM1+/FLT3-ITD+/DNMT3A+ (8.3 %), and FLT3-ITD+/DNMT3A+ (8.3 %). Patients with 1 mutation had a noticeably longer OS median compared with patients with 2 mutations (18.1 and 12.2 months; = 0.003). In patients with NPM1+ according to their OS the most unfavorable additional mutation was FLT3-ITD (median 27.4 vs. 9.2 months; = 0.019) and the combination of NPM1+/FLT3-ITD+/DNMT3A+ (median 27.4 vs. 14.6 months; = 0.141). OS of patients with DNMT3A+ showed a downward trend if FLT3-ITD additional mutation was identified (17.3 vs. 7.1 months; = 0.074).

Conclusion. Mutations in FLT3, DNMT3A, IDH1/2, NPM1 genes frequently occur in AML intermediate-risk patients, i.e. they determine the intermediate prognosis group in AML. The studied mutations considerably impact prognosis. It is important to take into consideration mutation type, its allele burden, and the presence of additional mutations. A patient with 2 mutations has a considerably worse OS compared with a patient with 1 mutation. The studied group of patients with the combination of NPM1+/FLT3-ITD+, NPM1+/FLT3-ITD+/DNMT3A+, DNMT3A+/FLT3-ITD+ mutations has the poorest prognosis. Comprehensive analysis of genetic damages in AML patients allows to most accurately predict the course and prognosis of the disease and to plan targeted therapy.

Keywords: acute myeloid leukemias, mutations in FLT3, NPM1, DNMT3A, IDH1/2 genes, karyotype, prognosis.

Received: July 13, 2018

Accepted: January 16, 2019

Read in PDF 


REFERENCES

  1. Schlenk RF, Dohner H. Genomic applications in the clinic: use in treatment paradigm of acute myeloid leukemia. Hematol Am Soc Hematol Educ Program. 2013;2013(1):324–30. doi: 10.1182/asheducation-2013.1.324.

  2. Sanders MA, Valk PJ. The evolving molecular genetic landscape in acute myeloid leukaemia. Curr Opin Hematol. 2013;20(2):79–85. doi: 10.1097/MOH.0b013e32835d821c.

  3. Preisler H, Davis RB, Kirshner J, et al. Comparison of three remission induction regimens and two postinduction strategies for the treatment of acute nonlymphocytic leukemia: a cancer and leukemic group B study. Blood. 1987;69(5):1441–9.

  4. Wiernik PH, Banks PLC, Case DC, et al. Cytarabine plus idarubicin or daunorubicin as induction and consolidation therapy for previously untreated adult patients with acute myeloid leukemia. 1992;79(2):313–9.

  5. Алгоритмы диагностики и протоколы лечения заболеваний системы крови. Под ред. В.Г. Савченко. М.: Практика, 2018. Т. 1. 1008 с.

    [Savchenko VG, ed. Algoritmy diagnostiki i protokoly lecheniya zabolevanii sistemy krovi. (Diagnostic algorithms and treatment protocols for blood system diseases.) Moscow: Praktika Publ.; 2018. Vol. 1. 1008 p. (In Russ)]

  6. Bennett JM, Catovsky D, Daniel MT, et al. Proposals for the classification of the acute leukaemias. French-American-British (FAB) co-operative group. Br J Haematol. 1976;33(4):451–8. doi: 10.1111/j.1365-2141.1976.tb03563.x.

  7. Heim S, Mitelman F. Cancer Cytogenetics: chromosomal and molecular genetic aberrations of tumor cells. 4th ed. Wiley-Blackwell: 2015. рр. 632. doi: 10.1002/9781118795569.

  8. Jordan CT. Unique molecular and cellular features of acute myelogenous leukemia stem cells. 2002;16(4):559–62. doi: 10.1038/sj.leu.2402446.

  9. Ding L, Ley TJ, Larson DE, et al. Clonal evolution in relapsed acute myeloid leukaemia revealed by whole-genome sequencing. Nature. 2012;481(7382):506– doi: 10.1038/nature10738.

  10. Gerlinger M, Rowan AJ, Horswell S, et al. Intratumor heterogeneity and branched evolution revealed by multiregion sequencing. N Engl J Med. 2012;366(10):883–92. doi: 10.1056/NEJMoa1113205.

  11. Campbell PJ, Pleasance ED, Stephens PJ, et al. Subclonal phylogenetic structures in cancer revealed by ultra-deep sequencing. Proc Natl Acad Sci USA. 2008;105(35):13081–6. doi: 10.1073/pnas.0801523105.

  12. Kottaridis PD, Gale RE, Frew ME, et al. The presence of a FLT3 internal tandem duplication in patients with acute myeloid leukemia (AML) adds important prognostic information to cytogenetic risk group and response to the first cycle of chemotherapy: analysis of 854 patients from the United Kingdom Medical Research Council AML 10 and 12 trials. Blood. 2001;98(6):1752– doi: 10.1182/blood.v98.6.1752.

  13. Santos FP, Jones D, Qiao W, et al. Prognostic value of FLT3 mutations among different cytogenetic subgroups in acute myeloid leukemia. Cancer. 2011;117(10):2145–55. doi: 10.1002/cncr.25670.

  14. Sallman DA, Lancet JE. What are the most promising new agents in acute myeloid leukemia? Curr Opin Hematol. 2017;24(2):99–107. doi: 10.1097/MOH.0000000000000319.

  15. Thiede C, Koch S, Creutzig E, et al. Prevalence and prognostic impact of NPM1 mutations in 1485 adult patients with acute myeloid leukemia (AML). 2006;107(10):4011–20. doi: 10.1182/blood-2005-08-3167.

  16. Dohner K, Schlenk RF, Habdank M, et al. Mutant nucleophosmin (NPM1) predicts favorable prognosis in younger adults with acute myeloid leukemia and normal cytogenetics: interaction with other gene mutations. Blood. 2005;106(12):3740–6. doi: 10.1182/blood-2005-05-2164.

  17. Тилова Л.Р., Савинкова А.В., Жидкова Е.М. и др. Молекулярно-генетические нарушения в патогенезе опухолей системы крови и соответствующие им изменения сигнальных систем клетки. Клиническая онкогематология. 2017;10(2):235– doi: 10.21320/2500-2139-2017-10-2-235-249.

    [Tilova LR, Savinkova AV, Zhidkova EM, et al. Molecular Genetic Abnormalities in the Pathogenesis of Hematologic Malignancies and Corresponding Changes in Cell Signaling Systems. Clinical oncohematology. 2017;10(2):235–49. doi: 10.21320/2500-2139-2017-10-2-235-249. (In Russ)]

  18. Emadi A, Faramand R, Carter-Cooper B, et al. Presence of isocitrate dehydrogenase mutations may predict acute myeloid leukemia. Am J Hematol. 2015;90(5):E77–9. doi: 10.1002/ajh.23965.

  19. Patel JP, Gonen M, Figueroa ME, et al. Prognostic relevance of integrated genetic profiling in acute myeloid leukemia. N Engl J Med. 2012;366(12):1079–89. doi: 10.1056/NEJMoa1112304.

  20. Renneville A, Boissel N, Nibourel O, et al. Prognostic significance of DNA methyltransferase 3A mutations in cytogenetically normal acute myeloid leukemia: a study by the Acute Leukemia French Association. Leukemia. 2012;26(6):1247–54. doi: 10.1038/leu.2011.382.

  21. Marcucci G, Maharry K, Wu Y-Z, et al. IDH1 and IDH2 gene mutations identify novel molecular subsets within de novo cytogenetically normal acute myeloid leukemia: a Cancer and Leukemia Group B study. J Clin Oncol. 2010;28(14):2348–55. doi: 10.1200/JCO.2009.27.3730.

  22. Paschka P, Schlenk RF, Gaidzik VI, et al. IDH1 and IDH2 mutations are frequent genetic alterations in acute myeloid leukemia and confer adverse prognosis in cytogenetically normal acute myeloid leukemia with NPM1 mutation without FLT3 internal tandem duplication. J Clin Oncol. 2010;28(22):3636–43. doi: 10.1200/JCO.2010.28.3762.

  23. Abbas S, Lugthart S, Kavelaars FG, et al. Acquired mutations in the genes encoding IDH1 and IDH2 both are recurrent aberrations in acute myeloid leukemia: prevalence and prognostic value. Blood. 2010;116(12):2122–6. doi: 10.1182/blood-2009-11-250878.

  24. Thol F, Damm F, Ludeking A, et al. Incidence and prognostic influence of DNMT3A mutations in acute myeloid leukemia. J Clin Oncol. 2011;29(21):2889– doi: 10.1200/JCO.2011.35.4894.

  25. Ley TJ, Miller C, Ding L, Raphael BJ, et al. Genomic and epigenomic landscapes of adult de novo acute myeloid leukemia. N Engl J Med. 2013;368(22):2059– doi: 10.1056/NEJMoa1301689.

  26. Kihara R, Nagata Y, Kiyoi H, et al. Comprehensive analysis of genetic alterations and their prognostic impacts in adult acute myeloid leukemia patients. Leukemia. 2014;28(8):1586– doi: 10.1038/leu.2014.55.

  27. Ravandi F, Kantarjian H, Faderl S, et al. Outcome of patients with FLT3-mutated acute myeloid leukemia in first relapse. Leuk Res. 2010;34(6):752– doi: 10.1016/j.leukres.2009.10.001.

  28. Frohling S, Schlenk RF, Breitruck J, et al. Prognostic significance of activating FLT3 mutations in younger adults (16 to 60 years) with acute myeloid leukemia and normal cytogenetics: A study of the AML study group Ulm. Blood. 2002;100(13):4372– doi: 10.1182/blood-2002-05-1440.

  29. Schlenk RF, Kayser S, Bullinger L, et al. Differential impact of allelic ratio and insertion site in FLT3-ITD–positive AML with respect to allogeneic transplantation. Blood. 2014;124(23):3441– doi: 10.1182/blood-2014-05-578070.

  30. Kim Y, Lee GD, Park J, et al. Quantitative fragment analysis of FLT3-ITD efficiently identifying poor prognostic group with high mutant allele burden or long ITD length. Blood Cancer J. 2015;5(8):e336. doi: 10.1038/bcj.2015.61.

  31. Linch DC, Hills RK, Burnett AK, et al. Impact of FLT3ITD mutant allele level on relapse risk in intermediate-risk acute myeloid leukemia. Blood. 2014;124(2):273– doi: 10.1182/blood-2014-02-554667.

  32. Brunet S, Labopin M, Esteve J, et al. Impact of FLT3 internal tandem duplication on the outcome of related and unrelated hematopoietic transplantation for adult acute myeloid leukemia in first remission: a retrospective analysis. J Clin Oncol. 2012;30(7):735– doi: 10.1200/JCO.2011.36.9868.

  33. DeZern AE, Sung A, Kim S, et al. Role of allogeneic transplantation for FLT3/ITD acute myeloid leukemia: outcomes from 133 consecutive newly diagnosed patients from a single institution. Biol Blood Marrow Transplant. 2011;17(9):1404– doi: 10.1016/j.bbmt.2011.02.003.

  34. Islam M, Mohamed Z, Assenov Y. Differential analysis of genetic, epigenetic, and cytogenetic abnormalities in AML. Int J Genom. 2017;2017:2913648. doi: 10.1155/2017/2913648.

  35. Papaemmanuil E, Gerstung M, Bullinger L, et al. Genomic classification and prognosis in acute myeloid leukemia. N Engl J Med. 2016;375(9):900– doi: 10.1056/NEJMc1608739.

  36. Dohner H, Estey E, Amadori S, et al. Diagnosis and Management of Acute Myeloid Leukemia in Adults: Recommendations from an International Expert Panel, on Behalf of the European LeukemiaNet. Blood. 2010;115(3):453– doi: 10.1182/blood-2009-07-235358.

  37. Gale RE, Green C, Allen C, et al. The impact of FLT3 internal tandem duplication mutant level, number, size, and interaction with NPM1 mutations in a large cohort of young adult patients with acute myeloid leukemia. Blood. 2008;111(5):2776– doi: 10.1182/blood-2007-08-109090.

  38. Pratcorona M, Brunet S, Nomdedeu J, et al. Favorable outcome of patients with acute myeloid leukemia harboring a low-allelic burden FLT3-ITD mutation and concomitant NPM1 mutation: Relevance to post-remission therapy. Blood. 2013;121(14):2734– doi: 10.1182/blood-2012-06-431122.

  39. Stone RM, Mandrekar S, Sanford BL, et al. The Multi-Kinase Inhibitor Midostaurin (M) Prolongs Survival Compared with Placebo (P) in Combination with Daunorubicin (D)/Cytarabine (C) Induction (ind), High-Dose C Consolidation (consol), and As Maintenance (maint) Therapy in Newly Diagnosed Acute Myeloid Leukemia (AML) Patients (pts) Age 18–60 with FLT3 Mutations (muts): An International Prospective Randomized (rand) P-Controlled Double- Blind Trial (CALGB 10603/RATIFY [Alliance]). Blood. 2015;126(23): 6, abstract.

  40. Ibrahem L, Mahfouz R, Elhelw L, et al. Prognostic significance of DNMT3A mutations in patients with acute myeloid leukemia. Blood Cells Mol Dis. 2015;54(1):84– doi: 10.1016/j.bcmd.2014.07.015.

  41. Ley T, Ding L, Walter M, et al. DNMT3A mutations in acute myeloid leukemia. N Engl J Med. 2010;363(25):2424– doi: 10.1056/NEJMoa1005143.

  42. Willander K, Falk I, Chaireti R, et al. Mutations in the isocitrate dehydrogenase 2 gene and IDH1 SNP 105C>T have a prognostic value in acute myeloid leukemia. Biomark Res. 2014;2(1):18. doi: 10.1186/2050-7771-2-18.

  43. Xu Q, Li Y, Lv N, et al. Correlation between isocitrate dehydrogenase gene aberrations and prognosis of patients with acute myeloid leukemia: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Clin Cancer Res. 2017;23(15):4511– doi: 10.1158/1078-0432.CCR-16-2628.

  44. Wagner K, Damm F, Gohring G, et al. Impact of IDH1 R132 mutations and an IDH1 single nucleotide polymorphism in cytogenetically normal acute myeloid leukemia: SNP rs11554137 is an adverse prognostic factor. J Clin Oncol. 2010;28(14):2356– doi: 10.1200/JCO.2009.27.6899.

  45. Stein EM, Tallman MS. Emerging therapeutic drugs for AML. Blood. 2016;127(1):71– doi: 10.1182/blood-2015-07-604538.

  46. Ploen GG, Nederby L, Guldberg P, et al. Persistence of DNMT3A mutations at long-term remission in adult patients with AML. Br J Haematol. 2014;167(4):478– doi: 10.1111/bjh.13062.

  47. Gaidzik V, Weber D, Paschka P, et al. Monitoring of minimal residual disease (MRD) of DNMT3A mutations (DNMT3Amut) in acute myeloid leukemia (AML): a study of the AML Study Group (AMLSG). Blood. 2015;126(23):226, abstract.