Cisplatin-induced ototoxicity in pediatric solid tumors: the role of glutathione S-transferases and megalin genetic polymorphisms.

Cisplatin-induced ototoxicity, an important dose-limiting side effect, has proven high interindividual variability. Glutathione S-transferases (GSTs) are isoenzymes involved in cellular detoxification processes. Megalin has been demonstrated to bind aminoglycosides, known to be similar to cisplatin for their ototoxicity. The GSTs and megalin expression is genetically polymorphic, which might be responsible for the variability in cisplatin-induced ototoxicity. The genotyping of GSTM1, GSTT1 polymorphisms, and 2 nonsynonymous single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) at megalin genes, rs2075252 and rs2228171, were performed in 68 children diagnosed with solid tumors who received cisplatin-based chemotherapy. After the end of treatment, audiometry demonstrated hearing loss in 79.4% of patients according to Brock classification. The cumulative cisplatin dose >400 mg/m is associated with increased risk of cisplatin-induced ototoxicity [odds ratio (OR), 17.5; 95% confidence interval (CI), 3.09-98.62]. GSTT1 wild genotype and C-allele of rs2228171 SNPs of megalin gene occurred with higher frequency in patients with ototoxicity (P=0.023; OR, 10; 95% CI, 1.80-56.00 and P=0.034; OR, 2.67; 95% CI, 1.22-5.82, respectively). In conclusion, our results suggested that GSTT1 wild genotype and C-allele of rs2228171 SNPs might be risk factors for ototoxicity. The cumulative cisplatin dose <400 mg/m should be beneficial in order to ameliorate ototoxicity.

FLT3 and NPM1 gene mutations in childhood acute myeloblastic leukemia.

Mutations of receptor tyrosine kinases are implicated in the constitutive activation and development of human hematologic malignancies. Mutations in fms-like tyrosine kinase 3 (FLT3) gene including internal tandem duplication (ITD) and point mutation in the tyrosine kinase domain (TKD) as well as in nucleoplasmin (NPM1) gene are associated with pathogenesis of acute myeloblastic leukemia (AML). Several reports have demonstrated high incidences of the FLT3 and NPM1 mutations in adult AML patients. Since the pathogenesis of pediatric AML is different from that of adult and the FLT3 and NPM1 mutations have not been well characterized in childhood AML. Therefore, the objective of this study was to determine the frequencies of FLT3 and NPM1 mutations in 64 newly diagnosed childhood AML patients. All blood and bone marrow samples were previously diagnosed with AML by using flow cytometry and/or cytochemistry. FLT3-ITD and FLT3-TKD were detected by PCR and PCR-RFLP methods, respectively. The NPM1 mutation was analyzed by PCR and direct DNA sequencing. The FLT3 mutations were detected in 7 of 64 (11.1%), including FLT3-ITD in 4 of 64 (6.3%) and FLT-TKD in 3 of 62 (4.8%). The NPM1 mutation was not detected in this cohort. By multivariate analysis, white blood cell counts, peripheral blood and bone marrow blast cell counts at diagnosis were significantly higher in children with FLT3-ITD (P<0.05). In addition, the median percentage of CD117 was significantly higher in leukemic blast cells with FLT3-ITD than those with wild type (P=0.01). We did not find any FLT3 mutations in children aged less than 5 years. The AML M3 cell type was most frequently associated with FLT3 gene mutations (50%). In conclusion, the FLT3 mutations was found in 11.1% but none of NPM1 mutation was detected in Thai children with AML. These data support the hypothesis of different biology and pathogenesis between adult and childhood AML.