| 1. |
- Anh, Nhi, et al.
(författare)
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High-resolution detection of chromosomal rearrangements in leukemias through mate pair whole genome sequencing
- 2018
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Ingår i: PLOS ONE. - : Public Library of Science (PLoS). - 1932-6203. ; 13:3
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- The detection of recurrent somatic chromosomal rearrangements is standard of care for most leukemia types. Even though karyotype analysis-a low-resolution genome-wide chromosome analysis-is still the gold standard, it often needs to be complemented with other methods to increase resolution. To evaluate the feasibility and applicability of mate pair whole genome sequencing (MP-WGS) to detect structural chromosomal rearrangements in the diagnostic setting, we sequenced ten bone marrow samples from leukemia patients with recurrent rearrangements. Samples were selected based on cytogenetic and FISH results at leukemia diagnosis to include common rearrangements of prognostic relevance. Using MP-WGS and in-house bioinformatic analysis all sought rearrangements were successfully detected. In addition, unexpected complexity or additional, previously undetected rearrangements was unraveled in three samples. Finally, the MP-WGS analysis pinpointed the location of chromosome junctions at high resolution and we were able to identify the exact exons involved in the resulting fusion genes in all samples and the specific junction at the nucleotide level in half of the samples. The results show that our approach combines the screening character from karyotype analysis with the specificity and resolution of cytogenetic and molecular methods. As a result of the straightforward analysis and high-resolution detection of clinically relevant rearrangements, we conclude that MP-WGS is a feasible method for routine leukemia diagnostics of structural chromosomal rearrangements.
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| 2. |
- Frisk, Sofia, et al.
(författare)
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Early activating somatic PIK3CA mutations promote ectopic muscle development and upper limb overgrowth
- 2019
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Ingår i: Clinical Genetics. - : WILEY. - 0009-9163 .- 1399-0004. ; 96:2, s. 118-125
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- PIK3CA-related overgrowth spectrum is a group of rare genetic disorders with asymmetric overgrowth caused by somatic mosaic PIK3CA mutations. Here, we report clinical data and molecular findings from two patients with congenital muscular upper limb overgrowth and aberrant anatomy. During debulking surgery, numerous ectopic muscles were found in the upper limbs of the patients. DNA sequencing, followed by digital polymerase chain reaction, was performed on DNA extracted from biopsies from hypertrophic ectopic muscles and identified the somatic mosaic PIK3CA hotspot mutations c.3140A > G, p.(His1047Arg) and c.1624G > A, p.(Glu542Lys) in a male (patient 1) and a female (patient 2) patient, respectively. Patient 1 had four ectopic muscles and unilateral isolated muscular overgrowth while patient 2 had 13 ectopic muscles and bilateral isolated muscular overgrowth of both upper limbs, indicating that her mutation occurred at early pre-somitic mesoderm state. The finding of PIK3CA mutations in ectopic muscles highlights the importance of PIK3CA in cell fate in early human embryonic development. Moreover, our findings provide evidence that the disease phenotype depends on the timing of PIK3CA mutagenesis during embryogenesis and confirm the diagnostic entity PIK3CA-related muscular overgrowth with ectopic accessory muscles.
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| 3. |
- Ivanov Öfverholm, Ingegerd, et al.
(författare)
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Detailed gene dose analysis reveals recurrent focal gene deletions in pediatric B-cell precursor acute lymphoblastic leukemia
- 2016
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Ingår i: Leukemia & Lymphoma. - : Informa UK Limited. - 1042-8194 .- 1029-2403. ; 57:9, s. 2161-2170
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- To identify copy number alterations (CNAs) in pediatric B-cell precursor acute lymphoblastic leukemia (BCP ALL), array comparative genomic hybridization was performed on 50 cases; detected CNAs were validated in a cohort of 191 cases analyzed by single nucleotide polymorphism arrays. Apart from CNAs involving leukemia-associated genes, recurrent deletions targeting genes not previously implicated in BCP ALL, e.g. INIP, IRF1 and PDE4B, were identified. Deletions of the DNA repair gene INIP were exclusively found in cases with t(12;21), and deletions of SH2B3 were associated with intrachromosomal amplification of chromosome 21 (p
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| 4. |
- Jarviaho, Tekla, et al.
(författare)
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Predisposition to childhood acute lymphoblastic leukemia caused by a constitutional translocation disrupting ETV6
- 2019
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Ingår i: Blood Advances. - : American Society of Hematology. - 2473-9529 .- 2473-9537. ; 3:18, s. 2722-2731
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Pathogenic germline variants in ETV6 have been associated with familial predisposition to thrombocytopenia and hematological malignancies, predominantly childhood B-cell precursor acute lymphoblastic leukemia (BCP-ALL). In addition, overrepresentation of a high hyperdiploid subtype and older age at diagnosis have been reported among sporadic BCP-ALL cases with germline variants in ETV6. We studied a family with 2 second-degree relatives who developed childhood high hyperdiploid BCP-ALL at ages 8 and 12 years, respectively. A constitutional balanced reciprocal translocation t(12;14)(p13.2;q23.1) was discovered in both patients by routine karyotyping at diagnosis and, subsequently, in 7 healthy family members who had not experienced hematological malignancies. No carriers had thrombocytopenia. Whole-genome sequencing confirmed the translocation, resulting in 2 actively transcribed but nonfunctional fusion genes, causing heterozygous loss and consequently monoallelic expression of ETV6. Whole-genome sequencing analysis of the affected female subjects' leukemia excluded additional somatic aberrations in ETV6 and RTN1 as well as shared somatic variants in other genes. Expression studies, performed to confirm decreased expression of ETV6, were not conclusive. We suggest that germline aberrations resulting in monoallelic expression of ETV6 contribute to leukemia susceptibility, whereas more severe functional deficiency of ETV6 is required for developing THC5. To our knowledge, this report is the first of a constitutional translocation disrupting ETV6 causing predisposition to childhood ALL.
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| 6. |
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| 7. |
- Nordlund, Jessica, et al.
(författare)
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DNA methylation-based subtype prediction for pediatric acute lymphoblastic leukemia
- 2015
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Ingår i: Clinical Epigenetics. - : Springer Science and Business Media LLC. - 1868-7083 .- 1868-7075. ; 7
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Background: We present a method that utilizes DNA methylation profiling for prediction of the cytogenetic subtypes of acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) cells from pediatric ALL patients. The primary aim of our study was to improve risk stratification of ALL patients into treatment groups using DNA methylation as a complement to current diagnostic methods. A secondary aim was to gain insight into the functional role of DNA methylation in ALL. Results: We used the methylation status of similar to 450,000 CpG sites in 546 well-characterized patients with T-ALL or seven recurrent B-cell precursor ALL subtypes to design and validate sensitive and accurate DNA methylation classifiers. After repeated cross-validation, a final classifier was derived that consisted of only 246 CpG sites. The mean sensitivity and specificity of the classifier across the known subtypes was 0.90 and 0.99, respectively. We then used DNA methylation classification to screen for subtype membership of 210 patients with undefined karyotype (normal or no result) or non-recurrent cytogenetic aberrations('other' subtype). Nearly half (n = 106) of the patients lacking cytogenetic subgrouping displayed highly similar methylation profiles as the patients in the known recurrent groups. We verified the subtype of 20% of the newly classified patients by examination of diagnostic karyotypes, array-based copy number analysis, and detection of fusion genes by quantitative polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and RNA-sequencing (RNA-seq). Using RNA-seq data from ALL patients where cytogenetic subtype and DNA methylation classification did not agree, we discovered several novel fusion genes involving ETV6, RUNX1, and PAX5. Conclusions: Our findings indicate that DNA methylation profiling contributes to the clarification of the heterogeneity in cytogenetically undefined ALL patient groups and could be implemented as a complementary method for diagnosis of ALL. The results of our study provide clues to the origin and development of leukemic transformation. The methylation status of the CpG sites constituting the classifiers also highlight relevant biological characteristics in otherwise unclassified ALL patients.
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| 8. |
- Zachariadis, Vasilios
(författare)
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Molecular studies of prognostic and etiological factors in childhood leukemia
- 2015
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Doktorsavhandling (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- Acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) is the most common cancer in childhood. It is caused by the somatic acquisition of genetic abnormalities and malignant transformation of immature lymphocytes in the bone marrow, most commonly of B-cell lineage. Chromosomal translocations are a hallmark of childhood ALL, constituting different subtypes of disease in terms of clinical characteristics and treatment outcomes. More than that, these gross chromosomal changes are often directly linked to specific disruptions at the molecular level through resulting fusion genes, aberrant transcriptional activation or associated structural and single nucleotide variants. The aim of this thesis was to establish the frequency and prognostic impact associated with the chromosomal abnormality dic(9;20)(p13.2;q11.2) in childhood B-cell precursor (BCP) ALL, and to better our understanding of the genetic basis underlying this disease. Thereby, we aimed to improve the diagnostics and risk-stratification in the context of existing antileukemic treatments, while potentially highlighting new rational strategies of therapy in dic(9;20) and childhood ALL in general. In paper I we found that the dic(9;20) was present in almost five percent of BCP ALL cases, making it the third most common subgroup in the cohort. Furthermore, we showed that dic(9;20)-positive cases treated on the NOPHO ALL-2000 protocol had a lower event-free survival than the most common subtypes of ALL. In paper III, we designed and validated a method for the detection of dic(9;20) in a clinical setting using FISH. In papers II and IV, we characterized the genetic basis of disease in cases carrying the dic(9;20), discovering first that homozygous deletions of tumor suppressor CDKN2A are present in almost all cases, but that the heterogeneity of the translocation breakpoints did not support the consistent formation of a fusion gene. Further, in paper IV, through the application of multiple genome-wide techniques, we presented a full spectrum of acquired structural and sequence level variation in dic(9;20)-positive ALL, as well as the integrated analysis of DNA methylation, gene expression and anti-leukemic drug sensitivity. Together, these data revealed a genetic profile distinct from that of other ALL subtypes, not accounted for by individual fusion genes or single gene abnormalities alone. Importantly, we found evidence of altered expression of several key genes governing cell survival and programmed cell death, attributable to changes in promoter DNA methylation; some affecting the response to existing anti-leukemic agents, and others highlighting specific pathways that may be of value in developing new therapies. Together, these studies add to our understanding of the clinical relevance and underlying biology of dic(9;20)-positive BCP ALL and provide a basis for the rational exploration of new treatment options for children with this disease.
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