Clonal Aberrations in Philadelphia Chromosome Negative Hematopoiesis in Patients with Chronic Myeloid Leukemia Treated with Imatinib Or Interferon Alpha
Total Page:16
File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb
Spotlight Correspondence 460 number. This view is supported by the results from hierarchical Supplementary Information cluster analyses including different numbers of genes with heterogenous expression, which were selected according to Supplementary Information accompanies the paper on the defined criteria (Figure 1). We found several genes that were Leukemia website (http://www.nature.com/leu). heterogenously expressed in our samples indicating that a heterogenous alteration of gene expression by imatinib could be possible. However, we could not identify groups that were References associated with imatinib treatment supporting the results from the SAM algorithm that there were no uniform imatinib-induced 1 Bumm T, Muller C, Al-Ali HK, Krohn K, Shepherd P, Schmidt E changes in gene expression. et al. Emergence of clonal cytogenetic abnormalities in PhÀ cells in some CML patients in cytogenetic remission to imatinib but In conclusion, after reaching major molecular remission restoration during first-line treatment with 400 mg imatinib per day, no of polyclonal hematopoiesis in the majority. Blood 2003; 101: uniform influence of the tyrosine kinase inhibitor on gene 1941–1949. expression patterns in Ph-negative CD34 þ stem and progenitor 2 Yuan ZM, Shioya H, Ishiko T, Sun X, Gu J, Huang YY et al. p73 is cells was observed in vivo. Therefore, based on our gene regulated by tyrosine kinase c-Abl in the apoptotic response to expression data we found no evidence for a major functional DNA damage. Nature 1999; 399: 814–817. 3 Lyman SD, Jacobsen SE. C-kit ligand and Flt3 ligand: stem/ disturbance of Ph-negative hematopoiesis using imatinib as first- progenitor cell factors with overlapping yet distinct activities. line therapy in CML. Blood 1998; 91: 1101–1134. 4 Andersen MK, Pedersen-Bjergaard J, Kjeldsen L, Dufva IH, SPOTLIGHT Brondum-Nielsen K. Clonal Ph-negative hematopoiesis in CML Acknowledgements after therapy with imatinib mesylate is frequently characterized by trisomy 8. Leukemia 2002; 16: 1390–1393. This work was supported by the Leuka¨mie Liga e.V., Du¨sseldorf. 5 Terre C, Eclache V, Rousselot P, Imbert M, Charrin C, Gervais C et al. France Intergroupe pour la Leucemie Myeloide Chronique. F Neumann1 1Department of Hematology, Report of 34 patients with clonal chromosomal abnormalities N Teutsch1 Oncology and Clinical Immunology, in Philadelphia-negative cells during imatinib treatment of S Kliszewski1 Heinrich Heine University, Philadelphia-positive chronic myeloid leukemia. Leukemia 2004; S Bork1 Du¨sseldorf, Germany; 18: 1340–1346. 2 U Steidl1 Theoretical Bioinformatics, 6 Steidl U, Kronenwett R, Rohr U-P, Fenk R, Kliszewski S, Maercker B Brors2 German Cancer Research Centre, C et al. Gene expression profiling identifies significant differences 1 Heidelberg, Germany; and between the molecular phenotypes of bone marrow-derived and N Schimkus 3 circulating human CD34+ hematopoietic stem cells. Blood 2002; N Roes1 Department of Human 1 Genetics and Anthropology, 99: 2037–2044. U Germing 7 Huber W, von Heydebreck A, Sultmann H, Poustka A, Vingron M. B Hildebrandt3 Heinrich Heine University, Du¨sseldorf, Germany Variance stabilization applied to microarray data calibration and B Royer-Pokora3 2 to the quantification of differential expression. Bioinformatics R Eils 2002; 18: 96–104. 1 N Gattermann 8 Goss Tusher V, Tibshirani R, Chu G. Significance analysis of 1 R Haas microarrays applied to the ionizing radiation response. Proc Natl R Kronenwett1 Acad Sci 2001; 98: 5116–5121. Clonal aberrations in Philadelphia chromosome negative hematopoiesis in patients with chronic myeloid leukemia treated with imatinib or interferon alpha Leukemia (2005) 19, 460–463. doi:10.1038/sj.leu.2403607 Between January 1997 and January 2004, we performed Published online 30 December 2004 cytogenetics and fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) analyses in 985 patients with CML. A total of 628 patients were treated with imatinib and 357 patients with interferon alpha TO THE EDITOR, (IFN). A minority of cases were treated in addition to IFN with The tyrosine kinase inhibitor imatinib mesylate was introduced hydroxyurea (HU), busulfan or thioguanin. All cases were in the treatment of chronic myeloid leukemia (CML) in 1998. In diagnosed and treated at our own institution or samples were 2002, there were first reports about the occurrence of clonal sent for diagnosis and follow-up studies to our reference À laboratory. In all, 128/985 patients were included in another changes in Philadelphia negative (Ph ) cells during imatinib 2 treatment. So far, more than 80 cases have been reported.1 report on clonal evolution during imatinib treatment. All 985 cases underwent routine cytogenetic analysis, interphase FISH and real-time PCR for BCR-ABL according to Correspondence: Dr U Bacher, Laboratory for Leukemia Diagnostics, standard protocols at diagnosis of CML.3 Complete cytogenetic Klinikum Grosshadern, Ludwig-Maximilians-University, Munich, remission was defined as 0% Philadelphia-positive (Ph þ ) Marchioninistr. 15, D-81377 Munich, Germany; Fax: 49 89/7095 metaphases; major cytogenetic response: 1–34% Ph þ meta- 4971; E-mail: [email protected] þ Received 14 July 2004; accepted 19 October 2004; Published online phases; minor cytogenetic response: 35–95% Ph metaphases; þ 30 December 2004 no response: 96–100% Ph metaphases. Leukemia Spotlight Correspondence 461 Table 1 Clinical data, cytogenetics and interphase FISH results Number Gender Age Therapy Pretreatment Interval from Duration of Ph independent Ph+ positive Cytogenetic Cytomorphologyd of (years) diagnosis imatinib clonal clonal responsec patients (months)a treatment change evolution (months)b 1 F 53 Imatinib No 12 12 +8 +8 Minor CR 2 F 37 Imatinib No 17 11 +8 ins(11;11) Minor CR 3 F 61 Imatinib No 9 8 +8 No Minor - 4 F 31 Imatinib HU 6 3 +8 i(17q) Minor - 5 M 46 Imatinib IFN, HU 65 8 +8 +8 Minor CR 6 F 52 Imatinib No 10 7 +8 No Major CR 7 F 37 Imatinib IFN, HU 16 8 +8 No Minor - 8 F 29 Imatinib IFN, HU 32 14 +8 No Major - 9 F 59 Imatinib IFN 26 11 +8 +Phil Complete CR 10e F 32 Imatinib No 15 15 +8 No Complete - 11 F 45 Imatinib IFN 27 7 t(8;11) No Major - 12 F 69 Imatinib No 15 3 À7 No Complete CR 13 M 74 Imatinib HU, IFN, Ara C 69 5 À7 No Complete MDS/RAEB-2 14 F 67 Imatinib Busulfan, 35 3 À7 No Major MDS/RARS anagrelide, IFN, HU 15 M 77 Imatinib HU, IFN 37 4 del(7q) No Minor - 16 M 74 IFN No 18 6 +8 ÀY Minor CR HU: hydroxyurea; IFN: interferon; Ara C: cytarabin; CR: complete hematological remission of CML. aInterval from diagnosis of CML to the first occurrence of the Ph independent clonal changes. bInterval from start of imatinib/IFN therapy to the first occurrence of the Ph independent clonal changes. cCytogenetic response at the time point of the first occurrence of the Ph independent clonal changes. dCytomorphologic evaluation at the time point of the first occurrence of Ph independent clonal changes. ePhÀ BCR-ABL-positive CML. 100 80 60 40 20 % of metaphases 0 0 5 9 1317212631 months from start of imatinib Ph+ metaphases 8+ metaphases normal metaphases Figure 1 Patient #3 was treated with imatinib as first-line therapy for CML in chronic phase with 100% Ph þ metaphases. Trisomy 8 in Ph independent cells was detected 8 months after the start of imatinib therapy in 8% of all metaphases. The proportion of Ph þ metaphases had decreased to 76%. At 19 months after the start of imatinib therapy, the patient had reached complete hematologic remission and major cytogenetic response with a reduction of the Ph þ metaphases to 10%. The proportion of Ph independent metaphases with trisomy 8 showed an increase to 90%. At 31 months after the start of imatinib therapy, the cytogenetic response to imatinib deteriorated with an increase of the Ph þ metaphases À from 10 to 36%. The Ph metaphases with trisomy 8 decreased from 90 to 36%. SPOTLIGHT Philadelphia independent clonal evolution was found in 2.4% had been started in chronic phase. Patients’ characteristics are of all patients receiving imatinib (15/628) and in 0.2% of all demonstrated in Table 1. patients receiving IFN (1/357 patients). The incidence of Imatinib was first-line therapy in 40% (6/15). In total, 60% of Philadelphia independent clonal evolution during imatinib all imatinib patients (8/14) had received pretreatment with IFN, was in the range of the literature (2–17%).1,4,5 The lower hydroxyurea, busulfan, cytarabin or anagrelide prior to imatinib incidence of Philadelphia independent clonal evolution in therapy. In previous studies, the proportion of patients who had patients with interferon corresponds to the small number of received pretreatment was higher.1,4 anecdotal reports in the literature.1,6 The median interval from the start of therapy with imatinib Imatinib was started in 14/15 patients in chronic phase of or IFN to the first observation of the Ph independent CML. Accelerated phase was found in one case at the start of clonal aberrations was 7.5 months (range 3–15 months). This imatinib treatment. One patient demonstrated PhÀ BCR-ABL- corresponds to the literature, reporting median intervals positive CML (patient #10). Only one patient with new from 5 to 24 months.1,7,8 From diagnosis of CML to the first independent markers received IFN as first-line therapy, which occurrence of the Ph independent clonal changes, the median Leukemia Spotlight Correspondence 462 100 80 60 40 20 % of metaphases 0 0 6 8 11162328 months from start of imatinib Ph+ Ph-8 + Ph+8 + normal metaphases Figure 2 Patient #5 was treated for CML in chronic phase for 23 months with IFN and for 5 months with hydroxyurea (HU).