The incidence of T-cell receptor gene rearrangements in childhood B-lineage acute lymphoblastic leukemia is related to immunophenotype and fusion oncogene expression

Leuk Res. 2006 Jul;30(7):795-800. doi: 10.1016/j.leukres.2005.11.007. Epub 2006 Jan 4.

Abstract

Immunoglobulin (Ig) and T-cell receptor (TCR) gene rearrangement is conventionally used for assessment of lymphoid malignant cells. TCR genes rearrangements were reported to occur at high frequency in B-lineage acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL). Therefore, we have analyzed 83 children with acute B-lineage ALL (67 de novo patients and 19 relapses) by PCR analysis for clonal IgH, incomplete TCRD (Vdelta2-Ddelta3 and Ddelta2-Ddelta3) and TCRG rearrangements. It was shown that clonal cross-lineage TCR rearrangements were associated with more immature immunophenotype (CD34+, CD117+, CyIgM-) of leukemic cells from patients' bone marrow (BM) samples as compared to cell samples without cross-lineage TCR rearrangements. That was equally detected both in de novo and relapsed cases of disease. Low frequency of clonal TCRG rearrangements was associated with expression of E2A/PBX chimeric oncogene. We suggest that TCRG and TCRD clonal rearrangements in leukemic B-cells are associated with early stages of their differentiation.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Adolescent
  • Adult
  • Burkitt Lymphoma / genetics*
  • Child
  • Child, Preschool
  • Core Binding Factor Alpha 2 Subunit / genetics*
  • Female
  • Fusion Proteins, bcr-abl / genetics*
  • Gene Expression Profiling
  • Homeodomain Proteins / genetics*
  • Humans
  • Immunophenotyping
  • Infant
  • Male
  • Myeloid-Lymphoid Leukemia Protein / genetics*
  • Oncogene Proteins, Fusion / genetics*
  • Polymerase Chain Reaction / methods
  • Precursor Cell Lymphoblastic Leukemia-Lymphoma / diagnosis
  • Precursor Cell Lymphoblastic Leukemia-Lymphoma / genetics*
  • Receptors, Antigen, T-Cell / genetics*
  • Recurrence
  • Sensitivity and Specificity

Substances

  • Core Binding Factor Alpha 2 Subunit
  • Homeodomain Proteins
  • MLL-AF4 fusion protein, human
  • Oncogene Proteins, Fusion
  • Receptors, Antigen, T-Cell
  • TEL-AML1 fusion protein
  • E2A-Pbx1 fusion protein
  • Myeloid-Lymphoid Leukemia Protein
  • Fusion Proteins, bcr-abl