The FLT3ITD mRNA level has a high prognostic impact in NPM1 mutated, but not in NPM1 unmutated, AML with a normal karyotype

Blood. 2012 May 10;119(19):4383-6. doi: 10.1182/blood-2010-12-327072. Epub 2012 Feb 28.

Abstract

The impact of a FLT3-internal tandem duplication (FLT3ITD) on prognosis of patients with acute myeloid leukemia (AML) is dependent on the ratio of mutated to wild-type allele. In 648 normal karyotype (NK) AML patients, we found a significant independent effect of the quantitative FLT3ITD mRNA level--measured as (FLT3ITD/wtFLT3)/(FLT3ITD/wtFLT3+1)--on outcome. Moreover, this effect was clearly seen in 329 patients with a mutated NPM1 gene (NPM1+), but not in 319 patients without a NPM1 mutation (wtNPM1). In a multivariate Cox regression model, the quantitative FLT3ITD mRNA level showed an independent prognostic impact on overall survival (OS) and relapse-free survival (RFS) only in the NPM1+ subgroup (OS: hazard ratio, 5.9; [95% confidence interval [CI]: 3.1-11.2]; RFS: hazard ratio, 7.5 [95% CI: 3.4-16.5]). The FLT3ITD mRNA level contributes to relapse risk stratification and might help to guide postremission therapy in NPM1-mutated AML.

Publication types

  • Multicenter Study
  • Randomized Controlled Trial

MeSH terms

  • Adult
  • Aged
  • Aged, 80 and over
  • Combined Modality Therapy
  • Female
  • Humans
  • Karyotype
  • Leukemia, Myeloid, Acute / diagnosis*
  • Leukemia, Myeloid, Acute / genetics*
  • Leukemia, Myeloid, Acute / mortality
  • Leukemia, Myeloid, Acute / therapy
  • Male
  • Middle Aged
  • Mutation / physiology
  • Nuclear Proteins / genetics*
  • Nucleophosmin
  • Prognosis
  • RNA, Messenger / analysis
  • RNA, Messenger / genetics
  • RNA, Messenger / physiology
  • Survival Analysis
  • Tandem Repeat Sequences / genetics*
  • Treatment Outcome
  • fms-Like Tyrosine Kinase 3 / analysis
  • fms-Like Tyrosine Kinase 3 / genetics*

Substances

  • NPM1 protein, human
  • Nuclear Proteins
  • RNA, Messenger
  • Nucleophosmin
  • FLT3 protein, human
  • fms-Like Tyrosine Kinase 3