DNA methylation holds prognostic information in relapsed precursor B-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia.

Borssén M, Nordlund J, Haider Z, Landfors M, Larsson P, Kanerva J, Schmiegelow K, Flaegstad T, Jónsson ÓG, Frost BM, Palle J, Forestier E, Heyman M, Hultdin M, Lönnerholm G, Degerman S

Clin Epigenetics 10 (-) 31 [2018-03-05; online 2018-03-05]

Few biological markers are associated with survival after relapse of B-cell precursor acute lymphoblastic leukemia (BCP-ALL). In pediatric T-cell ALL, we have identified promoter-associated methylation alterations that correlate with prognosis. Here, the prognostic relevance of CpG island methylation phenotype (CIMP) classification was investigated in pediatric BCP-ALL patients. Six hundred and one BCP-ALL samples from Nordic pediatric patients (age 1-18) were CIMP classified at initial diagnosis and analyzed in relation to clinical data. Among the 137 patients that later relapsed, patients with a CIMP- profile (n = 42) at initial diagnosis had an inferior overall survival (pOS5years 33%) compared to CIMP+ patients (n = 95, pOS5years 65%) (p = 0.001), which remained significant in a Cox proportional hazards model including previously defined risk factors. CIMP classification is a strong candidate for improved risk stratification of relapsed BCP-ALL.

NGI Uppsala (SNP&SEQ Technology Platform) [Service]

National Genomics Infrastructure [Service]

PubMed 29515676

DOI 10.1186/s13148-018-0466-3

Crossref 10.1186/s13148-018-0466-3

pii: 466
pmc: PMC5836434