The clinical mutatome of core binding factor leukemia.

The fusion genes CBFB/MYH11 and RUNX1/RUNX1T1 block differentiation through disruption of the core binding factor (CBF) complex and are found in 10-15% of adult de novo acute myeloid leukemia (AML) cases. This AML subtype is associated with a favorable prognosis; however, nearly half of CBF-rearranged patients cannot be cured with chemotherapy. This divergent outcome might be due to additional mutations, whose spectrum and prognostic relevance remains hardly defined. Here, we identify nonsilent mutations, which may collaborate with CBF-rearrangements during leukemogenesis by targeted sequencing of 129 genes in 292 adult CBF leukemia patients, and thus provide a comprehensive overview of the mutational spectrum ('mutatome') in CBF leukemia. Thereby, we detected fundamental differences between CBFB/MYH11- and RUNX1/RUNX1T1-rearranged patients with ASXL2, JAK2, JAK3, RAD21, TET2, and ZBTB7A being strongly correlated with the latter subgroup. We found prognostic relevance of mutations in genes previously known to be AML-associated such as KIT, SMC1A, and DHX15 and identified novel, recurrent mutations in NFE2 (3%), MN1 (4%), HERC1 (3%), and ZFHX4 (5%). Furthermore, age >60 years, nonprimary AML and loss of the Y-chromosomes are important predictors of survival. These findings are important for refinement of treatment stratification and development of targeted therapy approaches in CBF leukemia.

Acute myeloid leukemia with del(9q) is characterized by frequent mutations of NPM1, DNMT3A, WT1 and low expression of TLE4.

Deletions of the long arm of chromosome 9 [del(9q)] are a rare but recurring aberration in acute myeloid leukemia (AML). Del(9q) can be found as the sole abnormality or in combination with other cytogenetic aberrations such as t(8;21) and t(15;17). TLE1 and TLE4 were identified to be critical genes contained in the 9q region. We performed whole exome sequencing of 5 patients with del(9q) as the sole abnormality followed by targeted amplicon sequencing of 137 genes of 26 patients with del(9q) as sole or combined with other aberrations. We detected frequent mutations in NPM1 (10/26; 38%), DNMT3A (8/26; 31%), and WT1 (8/26; 31%) but only few FLT3-ITDs (2/26; 8%). All mutations affecting NPM1 and DNMT3A were exclusively identified in patients with del(9q) as the sole abnormality and were significantly more frequent compared to 111 patients classified as intermediate-II according to the European LeukemiaNet (10/14, 71% vs. 22/111, 20%; P < 0.001, 8/14, 57% vs. 26/111, 23%; P = 0.02). Furthermore, we identified DNMT3B to be rarely but recurrently targeted by truncating mutations in AML. Gene expression analysis of 13 patients with del(9q) and 454 patients with normal karyotype or various cytogenetic aberrations showed significant down regulation of TLE4 in patients with del(9q) (P = 0.02). Interestingly, downregulation of TLE4 was not limited to AML with del(9q), potentially representing a common mechanism in AML pathogenesis. Our comprehensive genetic analysis of the del(9q) subgroup reveals a unique mutational profile with the frequency of DNMT3A mutations in the del(9q) only subset being the highest reported so far in AML, indicating oncogenic cooperativity. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

ZBTB7A mutations in acute myeloid leukaemia with t(8;21) translocation.

The t(8;21) translocation is one of the most frequent cytogenetic abnormalities in acute myeloid leukaemia (AML) and results in the RUNX1/RUNX1T1 rearrangement. Despite the causative role of the RUNX1/RUNX1T1 fusion gene in leukaemia initiation, additional genetic lesions are required for disease development. Here we identify recurring ZBTB7A mutations in 23% (13/56) of AML t(8;21) patients, including missense and truncating mutations resulting in alteration or loss of the C-terminal zinc-finger domain of ZBTB7A. The transcription factor ZBTB7A is important for haematopoietic lineage fate decisions and for regulation of glycolysis. On a functional level, we show that ZBTB7A mutations disrupt the transcriptional repressor potential and the anti-proliferative effect of ZBTB7A. The specific association of ZBTB7A mutations with t(8;21) rearranged AML points towards leukaemogenic cooperativity between mutant ZBTB7A and the RUNX1/RUNX1T1 fusion.

Close correlation of copy number aberrations detected by next-generation sequencing with results from routine cytogenetics in acute myeloid leukemia.

High throughput sequencing approaches, including the analysis of exomes or gene panels, are widely used and established to detect tumor-specific sequence variants such as point mutations or small insertions/deletions. Beyond single nucleotide resolution, sequencing data also contain information on changes in sequence coverage between samples and thus allow the detection of somatic copy number alterations (CNAs) representing gain or loss of genomic material in tumor cells arising from aneuploidy, amplifications, or deletions. To test the feasibility of CNA detection in sequencing data we analyzed the exomes of 25 paired leukemia/remission samples from acute myeloid leukemia (AML) patients with well-defined chromosomal aberrations, detected by conventional chromosomal analysis and/or molecular cytogenetics assays. Thereby, we were able to confirm chromosomal aberrations including trisomies, monosomies, and partial chromosomal deletions in 20 out of 25 samples. Comparison of CNA detection using exome, custom gene panel, and SNP array analysis showed equivalent results in five patients with variable clone size. Gene panel analysis of AML samples without matched germline control samples resulted in confirmation of cytogenetic findings in 18 out of 22 cases. In all cases with discordant findings, small clone size (<33%) was limiting for CNA detection. We detected CNAs consistent with cytogenetics in 83% of AML samples including highly correlated clone size estimation (R = 0.85), while six out of 65 cytogenetically normal AML samples exhibited CNAs apparently missed by routine cytogenetics. Overall, our results show that high throughput targeted sequencing data can be reliably used to detect copy number changes in the dominant AML clone. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Exome sequencing identifies recurring FLT3 N676K mutations in core-binding factor leukemia.

The t(8;21) and inv(16)/t(16;16) rearrangements affecting the core-binding factors RUNX1 and CBFB, respectively, are found in 15% to 20% of adult de novo acute myeloid leukemia (AML) cases and are associated with a favorable prognosis. Since the expression of the fusion genes CBFB/MYH11 or RUNX1/RUNX1T1 alone is not sufficient to cause leukemia, we performed exome sequencing of an AML sample with an inv(16) to identify mutations, which may collaborate with the CBFB/MYH11 fusion during leukemogenesis. We discovered an N676K mutation in the adenosine triphosphate (ATP)-binding domain (tyrosine kinase domain 1 [TKD1]) of the fms-related tyrosine kinase 3 (FLT3) gene. In a cohort of 84 de novo AML patients with a CBFB/MYH11 rearrangement and in 36 patients with a RUNX1/RUNX1T1 rearrangement, the FLT3 N676K mutation was identified in 5 and 1 patients, respectively (5 [6%] of 84; 1 [3%] of 36). The FLT3-N676K mutant alone leads to factor-independent growth in Ba/F3 cells and, together with a concurrent FLT3-ITD (internal tandem duplication), confers resistance to the FLT3 protein tyrosine kinase inhibitors (PTKIs) PKC412 and AC220. Gene expression analysis of AML patients with CBFB/MYH11 rearrangement and FLT3 N676K mutation showed a trend toward a specific expression profile. Ours is the first report of recurring FLT3 N676 mutations in core-binding factor (CBF) leukemias and suggests a defined subgroup of CBF leukemias.