ePrints

Down syndrome acute lymphoblastic leukemia, a highly heterogeneous disease in which aberrant expression of CRLF2 is associated with mutated JAK2: a report from the International BFM Study Group

Lookup NU author(s): Dr Lisa Russell, Professor Christine Harrison FRCPath FMedSci

Downloads

Full text for this publication is not currently held within this repository. Alternative links are provided below where available.

Abstract

We report gene expression and other analyses to elucidate the molecular characteristics of acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) in children with Down syndrome (DS). We find that by gene expression DS-ALL is a highly heterogeneous disease not definable as a unique entity. Nevertheless, 62% (33/53) of the DS-ALL samples analyzed were characterized by high expression of the type I cytokine receptor CRLF2 caused by either immunoglobulin heavy locus (IgH@) translocations or by interstitial deletions creating chimeric transcripts P2RY8-CRLF2. In 3 of these 33 patients, a novel activating somatic mutation, F232C in CRLF2, was identified. Consistent with our previous research, mutations in R683 of JAK2 were identified in 10 specimens (19% of the patients) and, interestingly, all 10 had high CRLF2 expression. Cytokine receptor-like factor 2 (CRLF2) and mutated Janus kinase 2 (Jak2) cooperated in conferring cytokine-independent growth to BaF3 pro-B cells. Intriguingly, the gene expression signature of DS-ALL is enriched with DNA damage and BCL6 responsive genes, suggesting the possibility of B-cell lymphocytic genomic instability. Thus, DS confers increased risk for genetically highly diverse ALLs with frequent overexpression of CRLF2, associated with activating mutations in the receptor itself or in JAK2. Our data also suggest that the majority of DS children with ALL may benefit from therapy blocking the CRLF2/JAK2 pathways. (Blood. 2010;115:1006-1017)

Publication metadata

Author(s): Hertzberg L, Vendramini E, Ganmore I, Cazzaniga G, Schmitz M, Chalker J, Shiloh R, Iacobucci I, Shochat C, Zeligson S, Cario G, Stanulla M, Strehl S, Russell LJ, Harrison CJ, Bornhauser B, Yoda A, Rechavi G, Bercovich D, Borkhardt A, Kempski H, Kronnie GT, Bourquin JP, Domany E, Izraeli S

Publication type: Article

Publication status: Published

Journal: Blood

Year: 2010

Volume: 115

Issue: 5

Pages: 1006-1017

Print publication date: 04/02/2010

ISSN (print): 0006-4971

ISSN (electronic): 1528-0020

Publisher: American Society of Hematology

URL: http://dx.doi.org/10.1182/blood-2009-08-235408

DOI: 10.1182/blood-2009-08-235408

Altmetrics

Share