Presence of high-ERG expression is an independent unfavorable prognostic marker in MLL-rearranged childhood myeloid leukemia.

摘要

Childhood acute myeloid leukemia (AML) is a heterogeneous disease, in terms of genetic/molecular abnormalities resulting into marked differences in outcome. A myriad of proteins have been suggested aberrantly regulated in AML, and Ets-related gene (ERG, 21q22) expression in normal and aberrant hematopoiesis is currently under evaluation. High ERG expression has been associated with poor prognosis in cytogenetically normal adult AMLs. Only recently, Staffas et al reported that ERG expression was associated with an inferior probability of event-free survival (EFS) in northern European children with AML, although not as independent prognostic factor. We measured ERG expression in a cohort of 268 Italian pediatric patients (141 males and 127 females, median age at diagnosis 6 years, range 7 days-22 years) with newly diagnosed de novo AML enrolled in AIEOP LAM-2002 protocol.