Equal frequency of TEL/AML1 rearrangements in children with acute lymphoblastic leukemia with and without Down syndrome

Pediatr Hematol Oncol. 2005 Apr-May;22(3):229-34. doi: 10.1080/08880010590921603.

Abstract

Constitutional trisomy 21 is the most prominent predisposing factor to childhood leukemia, whereas the t(12;21)(p13;q22) with its molecular genetic counterpart, the TEL/AML1 fusion gene, is the most common acquired chromosomal rearrangement in childhood B-cell precursor (BCP) acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL). Thus, it was somewhat surprising that according to the currently available literature the incidence of TEL/AML1+ BCP ALL is extremely low in patients with Down syndrome (DS). To further investigate this issue in a population-based fashion, the authors retrospectively assessed the number of DS patients with a TEL/AML1+ ALL in two consecutive Austrian ALL multicenter trials. Accordingly, they were able to analyze 8 of 10 individuals with DS and a BCP ALL, two of whom who suffered from a TEL/AML1+ leukemia. Based on this observation they concluded that individuals with BCP leukemia and a constitutional trisomy 21 may have similar likelihood to have a TEL/AML1 rearrangement as BCP ALL patients without this specific predisposing factor.

Publication types

  • Corrected and Republished Article
  • Multicenter Study
  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Adolescent
  • Adult
  • Austria / epidemiology
  • Child
  • Child, Preschool
  • Chromosomes, Human, Pair 21 / genetics
  • Core Binding Factor Alpha 2 Subunit
  • Down Syndrome / complications
  • Down Syndrome / epidemiology
  • Down Syndrome / genetics*
  • Female
  • Humans
  • In Situ Hybridization, Fluorescence
  • Male
  • Oncogene Proteins, Fusion / genetics*
  • Precursor Cell Lymphoblastic Leukemia-Lymphoma / complications
  • Precursor Cell Lymphoblastic Leukemia-Lymphoma / epidemiology
  • Precursor Cell Lymphoblastic Leukemia-Lymphoma / genetics*
  • Retrospective Studies

Substances

  • Core Binding Factor Alpha 2 Subunit
  • Oncogene Proteins, Fusion
  • TEL-AML1 fusion protein