Molecular Measurable Residual Disease Assessment before Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplantation in Pediatric Acute Myeloid Leukemia Patients: A Retrospective Study by the I-BFM Study Group

• Hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT) is a curative post-remission treatment in patients with acute myeloid leukemia (AML), but relapse after transplant is still a challenging event. In recent year, several studies have investigated the molecular minimal residual disease (qPCR-MRD) as a predictor of relapse, but the lack of standardized protocols, cut-offs, and timepoints, especially in the pediatric setting, has prevented its use in several settings, including before HSCT. Here, we propose the first collaborative retrospective I-BFM-AML study assessing qPCR-MRD values in pretransplant bone marrow samples of 112 patients with a diagnosis of AML harboring t(8;21)(q22; q22)RUNX1::RUNX1T1, or inv(16)(p13q22)CBFB::MYH11, or t(9;11)(p21;q23)KMT2A::MLLT3, or FLT3-ITD genetic markers. We calculated an ROC cut-off of 2.1 x 10(-4) that revealed significantly increased OS (83.7% versus 57.1%) and EFS (80.2% versus 52.9%) for those patients with lower qPCR-MRD values. Then, we partitioned patients into three qPCR-MRD groups by combining two different thresholds, 2.1 x 10(-4) and one lower cut-off of 1 x 10(-2), and stratified patients into low-, intermediate-, and high-risk groups. We found that the 5-year OS (83.7%, 68.6%, and 39.2%, respectively) and relapse-free survival (89.2%, 73.9%, and 67.9%, respectively) were significantly different independent of the genetic lesion, conditioning regimen, donor, and stem cell source. These data support the PCR-based approach playing a clinical relevance in AML transplant management.

Subject headings

MEDICIN OCH HÄLSOVETENSKAP  -- Klinisk medicin -- Pediatrik (hsv//swe)

MEDICAL AND HEALTH SCIENCES  -- Clinical Medicine -- Pediatrics (hsv//eng)

Keyword

AML

HSCT

q-PCR

MRD

molecular genetics

fusion gene transcripts

aieop-aml 2002/01

randomized-trial

rt-pcr

children

therapy

mrd

standardization

recommendations

aberrations

Biochemistry & Molecular Biology

Research & Experimental Medicine

Pharmacology & Pharmacy

Publication and Content Type

ref (subject category)

art (subject category)