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The prognostic role of E2A-PBX1 expression detected by real-time quantitative reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction (RQ-PCR) in B cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia after allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation

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Abstract

The E2A-PBX1 rearrangement is common in B cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia (B-ALL). However, whether this fusion gene can be used as a reliable marker for minimal residual disease (MRD) following allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (allo-HSCT) remains unknown. In this study, clinical data were collected from 28 consecutive B-ALL patients who received allo-HSCT. Their MRD was evaluated by E2A-PBX1 and leukemia-associated immunophenotype (LAIP). The median follow-up was 374 days (55–2342 days). Of the enrolled patients, seven (25%) patients died of leukemia relapse. A total of nine (32.1%) patients experienced relapse at a median of 164 days (75–559 days) after transplantation. The median expression level in the first positive sample was 0.14% (0.0071–902.4%). The duration from E2A-PBX1-positive results to hematological relapse was 74 days (30–469 days). E2A-PBX1 expression generally became positive prior to flow cytometry. Patients with positive E2A-PBX1 gene expression pre-transplantation were more likely to have positive E2A-PBX1 expression after transplantation. Taken all together, E2A-PBX1 expression determined by real-time quantitative reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction (RQ-PCR) could be used to evaluate MRD status after allo-HSCT. Patients with positive E2A-PBX1 expression after transplant will have a poor prognosis.

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Funding

This work was supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (81670175), the Key Program of National Natural Science Foundation of China (81230013), the Foundation for Innovative Research Groups of the National Natural Science Foundation of China (81621001), the Scientific Research Foundation for Capital Medicine Development (2016-1-4082), and the Beijing Key Laboratory for Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplantation.

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  1. Yan Hong, Xiaosu Zhao, Yazhen Qin, Songhai Zhou, Yingjun Chang, Yu Wang, Xiaohui Zhang, Lanping Xu & Xiaojun Huang

    Present address: Peking University People’s Hospital, Peking University Institute of Hematology, Beijing Key Laboratory of Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplantation, Beijing, China

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  1. Collaborative Innovation Center of Hematology, Peking University, Beijing, China

    Xiaosu Zhao, Yingjun Chang, Yu Wang & Xiaojun Huang

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  1. Yan Hong
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Hong, Y., Zhao, X., Qin, Y. et al. The prognostic role of E2A-PBX1 expression detected by real-time quantitative reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction (RQ-PCR) in B cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia after allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation. Ann Hematol 97, 1547–1554 (2018). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00277-018-3338-1

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