NOTCH1/FBXW7 mutation identifies a large subgroup with favorable outcome in adult T-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia (T-ALL): a Group for Research on Adult Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia (GRAALL) study

Blood. 2009 Apr 23;113(17):3918-24. doi: 10.1182/blood-2008-10-184069. Epub 2008 Dec 23.

Abstract

Many somatic genetic abnormalities have been identified in T-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia (T-ALL) but each individual abnormality accounts for a small proportion of cases; therapeutic stratification consequently still relies on classical clinical markers. NOTCH1 and/or FBXW7 mutations both lead to activation of the NOTCH1 pathway and are among the most frequent mutations in T-ALL. We screened 141 adult diagnostic T-ALL samples from patients treated on either the Lymphoblastic Acute Leukemia in Adults (LALA)-94 (n = 87) or the GRAALL-2003 (n = 54) trials. In 88 cases (62%) there were demonstrated NOTCH1 mutations (42% heterodimerization [HD], 10% HD+proline glutamate serine threonine [PEST], 6% PEST, 2% juxtamembrane mutations, 2% transactivation domain [TAD]) and 34 cases (24%) had FBXW7 mutations (21 cases had both NOTCH1 and FBXW7 mutations); 40 cases (28%) were wild type for both. There was no significant correlation between NOTCH1 and/or FBXW7 mutations and clinico-biologic features. Median event-free survival (EFS) and overall survival (OS) were 36 versus 17 months (P = .01) and not reached versus 32 months (P = .004) in patients with NOTCH1 and/or FBXW7 mutations versus other patients, respectively. Multivariate analysis showed that the presence of NOTCH1/FBXW7 mutations was an independent good prognostic factor for EFS and OS (P = .02 and P = .01, respectively). These data demonstrate that NOTCH1 pathway activation by either NOTCH1 or FBXW7 mutation identifies a large group of patients with a favorable outcome that could justify individual therapeutic stratification for T-ALL.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Adult
  • Cell Cycle Proteins / genetics*
  • Cell Cycle Proteins / metabolism
  • F-Box Proteins / genetics*
  • F-Box Proteins / metabolism
  • F-Box-WD Repeat-Containing Protein 7
  • Genotype
  • Humans
  • Mutation / genetics
  • Phenotype
  • Precursor T-Cell Lymphoblastic Leukemia-Lymphoma / classification*
  • Precursor T-Cell Lymphoblastic Leukemia-Lymphoma / genetics*
  • Precursor T-Cell Lymphoblastic Leukemia-Lymphoma / pathology
  • Precursor T-Cell Lymphoblastic Leukemia-Lymphoma / therapy
  • Prognosis
  • Receptor, Notch1 / genetics*
  • Receptor, Notch1 / metabolism
  • Societies, Medical
  • Survival Rate
  • Time Factors
  • Treatment Outcome
  • Ubiquitin-Protein Ligases / genetics*
  • Ubiquitin-Protein Ligases / metabolism

Substances

  • Cell Cycle Proteins
  • F-Box Proteins
  • F-Box-WD Repeat-Containing Protein 7
  • FBXW7 protein, human
  • Receptor, Notch1
  • Ubiquitin-Protein Ligases