Demographic, clinical, and outcome features of children with acute lymphoblastic leukemia and CRLF2 deregulation: results from the MRC ALL97 clinical trial

Blood. 2011 Feb 17;117(7):2129-36. doi: 10.1182/blood-2010-07-297135. Epub 2010 Nov 24.

Abstract

Deregulated expression of CRLF2 (CRLF2-d) arises via its juxtaposition to the IGH@ enhancer or P2RY8 promoter. Among 865 BCP-ALL children treated on MRC ALL97, 52 (6%) had CRLF2-d, but it was more prevalent among Down syndrome patients (54%). P2RY8-CRLF2 (n = 43) was more frequent than IGH@-CRLF2 (n = 9). CRLF2-d was not associated with age, sex, or white cell count, but IGH@-CRLF2 patients were older than P2RY8-CRLF2 patients (median 8 vs 4 years, P = .0017). Patients with CRLF2-d were more likely to present with enlarged livers and spleens (38% vs 18%, P < .001). CRLF2-d was not seen in conjunction with established chromosomal translocations but 6 (12%) cases had high hyperdiploidy, and 5 (10%) had iAMP21. Univariate analysis suggested that CRLF2-d was associated with an inferior outcome: (event-free survival [EFS] hazard ratio 2.27 [95% confidence interval 1.48-3.47], P < .001; OS 3.69 [2.34-5.84], P < .001). However, multivariate analysis indicated that its effect was mediated by other risk factors such as cytogenetics and DS status (EFS 1.45 [0.88-2.39], P = .140; OS 1.90 [1.08-3.36], P = .027). Although the outcome of IGH@-CRLF2 patients appeared inferior compared with P2RY8-CRLF2 patients, the result was not significant (EFS 2.69 [1.15-6.31], P = .023; OS 2.86 [1.15-6.79], P = .021). Therefore, we concluded that patients with CRLF2-d should be classified into the intermediate cytogenetic risk group.

Publication types

  • Clinical Trial

MeSH terms

  • Adolescent
  • Child
  • Child, Preschool
  • Chromosome Aberrations
  • Disease-Free Survival
  • Down Syndrome / complications
  • Down Syndrome / genetics
  • Down Syndrome / immunology
  • Enhancer Elements, Genetic
  • Female
  • Gene Expression
  • Genes, Immunoglobulin Heavy Chain
  • Humans
  • In Situ Hybridization, Fluorescence
  • Infant
  • Kaplan-Meier Estimate
  • Male
  • Precursor B-Cell Lymphoblastic Leukemia-Lymphoma / complications
  • Precursor B-Cell Lymphoblastic Leukemia-Lymphoma / genetics*
  • Precursor B-Cell Lymphoblastic Leukemia-Lymphoma / immunology*
  • Precursor B-Cell Lymphoblastic Leukemia-Lymphoma / mortality
  • Prognosis
  • Promoter Regions, Genetic
  • Receptors, Cytokine / genetics*
  • Receptors, Purinergic P2 / genetics
  • Translocation, Genetic

Substances

  • CRLF2 protein, human
  • Receptors, Cytokine
  • Receptors, Purinergic P2