Ultraconserved long non-coding RNA uc 112 is highly expressed in childhood T versus B-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia

ABSTRACT Aberrant expression of long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) has been detected in several types of cancer, including acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL), but lncRNA mapped on transcribed ultraconserved regions (T-UCRs) are little explored. The T-UCRs uc.112, uc.122, uc.160 and uc.262 were evaluated by quantitative real-time PCR in bone marrow samples from children with T-ALL (n = 32) and common-ALL/pre-B ALL (n = 30). In pediatric ALL, higher expression levels of uc.112 were found in patients with T-ALL, compared to patients with B-ALL. T-cells did not differ significantly from B-cells regarding uc.112 expression in non-tumor precursors from public data. Additionally, among B-ALL patients, uc.112 was also found to be increased in patients with hyperdiploidy, compared to other karyotype results. The uc.122, uc.160, and uc.262 were not associated with biological or clinical features. These findings suggest a potential role of uc.112 in pediatric ALL and emphasize the need for further investigation of T-UCR in pediatric ALL.

Clinicopathological Characteristics of Hyperdiploidy with High-Risk Cytogenetics in Multiple Myeloma

In multiple myeloma (MM), hyperdiploidy (HD) is known to impart longer overall survival. However, it is unclear whether coexistent HD ameliorates the adverse effects of known high-risk cytogenetics in MM patients. To address this issue, we investigated the clinicopathological characteristics of HD with high-risk cytogenetics in MM. Ninety-seven patients with MM were included in the study. For metaphase cytogenetics (MC), unstimulated cells from bone marrow aspirates were cultured for either 24 or 48 hours. To detect HD by interphase fluorescence in situ hybridization (iFISH), we assessed trisomies of chromosomes 5, 7, 9, 11, 15, and 17. Of the 97 MM patients, 40 showed HD. The frequency of co-occurrence of HD and high-risk cytogenetics was 14% (14/97). When the clinicopathological characteristics were compared between the two groups of HD with high-risk cytogenetics vs. non-HD (NHD) with high-risk cytogenetics, the level of beta 2 microglobulin and stage distribution significantly differed (P=0.020, P=0.032, respectively). This study shows that some of the clinicopathological characteristics of MM patients with high-risk cytogenetics differ according to HD or NHD status.

Pattern of chromosome involvement in childhood hyperdiploid pre-B-cell acute lymhoblastic leukemia cases from India.

BACKGROUND: Hyperdiploid pre‑B‑cell acute lymhoblastic leukemia (pre‑B‑ALL) is a common form of childhood leukemia with very good prognosis with present day chemotherapy. However, the chromosomal composition of the hyperdiploidy has not been extensively studied and possible mechanism for this pathology remains so far conjectural. OBJECTIVE: To analyze the pattern of chromosome involvement in a cohort of childhood hyperdiploid pre‑B‑ALL from India and from this pattern to develop an understanding on the causation of such pathology. Whether such patients also carry translocations and FLT3 mutations in addition to their hyperdiploid karyotype. MATERIALS AND METHODS: One hundred and twenty‑six childhood pre‑B‑ALL patients were studied. Bone marrow aspirate of these patients were evacuated for morphology, FAB classification, immunophenotyping and both conventional and molecular cytogenetics. RESULTS: Of 126 patients with pre‑B‑ALL (age 2-15 years), 90 patients with abnormal karyotype showed 50 with hyperdiploid karyotype (50/90 i.e. 55.5%). Chromosomes 9, 10, 14, 17, 18, 20 and 21 were more often involved in hyperdiploidy. Chromosome 21 duplication was present in 92% of the cases. Chromosomes 5, 15, 16, 17 and Y were less often involved (18-20%) in hyperdiploidy. About 44% of patients with hyperdiploidy had additional karyotypic abnormality of which TEL‑AML1 was predominant (24%). Chromosome loss was rare and accounted for 20% of the cases only. We did not find any FLT3 mutation in our patients. CONCLUSION: In this study, the pattern of chromosome involvement in hyperdiploid karyotype of ALL patients is same as other studies except some chromosomes like 1, 6, 11, 12, 19 and 22 have some more frequent involvement than other studies. This study also showed the occurrence of TEL/AML1 fusion is more (19.8%) than other reports from India.

Chronic myeloid leukemia with hyperdiploidy: A case report with review of literature.

Chronic myeloid leukemia (CML) is a common marrow stem cell neoplasm characterized by the presence of the Philadelphia (Ph) chromosome in more than 90% of patients. Studies have shown that CML can be associated with various other cytogenetic abnormalities. 5-10% of these cases can show complex translocations involving other chromosomes in addition to Ph chromosome. Here, we report a Ph-positive CML patient with a hyperdiploid karyotype who presented clinically in chronic phase but progressed to blast crisis in spite of treatment with Imatinib. This case highlights the significance of cytogenetic abnormalities on the prognosis in CML.