Project description:Gene expression profiling of 207 uniformly treated children with high-risk B-progenitor acute lymphoblastic leukemia revealed 29 of 207 cases (14%) with markedly elevated expression of CRLF2 (cytokine receptor-like factor 2). Each of the 29 cases harbored a genomic rearrangement of CRLF2: 18 of 29 (62%) had a translocation of the immunoglobulin heavy chain gene IGH@ on 14q32 to CRLF2 in the pseudoautosomal region 1 of Xp22.3/Yp11.3, whereas 10 (34%) cases had a 320-kb interstitial deletion centromeric of CRLF2, resulting in a P2RY8-CRLF2 fusion. One case had both IGH@-CRLF2 and P2RY8-CRLF2, and another had a novel CRLF2 rearrangement. Only 2 of 29 cases were Down syndrome. CRLF2 rearrangements were significantly associated with activating mutations of JAK1 or JAK2, deletion or mutation of IKZF1, and Hispanic/Latino ethnicity (Fisher exact test, P < .001 for each). Within this cohort, patients with CRLF2 rearrangements had extremely poor treatment outcomes compared with those without CRLF2 rearrangements (35.3% vs 71.3% relapse-free survival at 4 years; P < .001). Together, these observations suggest that activation of CRLF2 expression, mutation of JAK kinases, and alterations of IKZF1 cooperate to promote B-cell leukemogenesis and identify these pathways as important therapeutic targets in this disease.
Project description:Cytokine Receptor-Like Factor 2 (CRLF2) overexpression occurs in 5-15% of B-cell precursor acute lymphoblastic leukaemia (B-ALL). In ∼50% of these cases, the mechanisms underlying this dysregulation are unknown. IKAROS Family Zinc Finger 1 (IKZF1) is a possible candidate to play a role in this dysregulation since it binds to the CRLF2 promoter region and suppresses its expression. We hypothesised that IKZF1 loss of function, caused by deletions or its short isoforms expression, could be associated with CRLF2 overexpression in B-ALL. A total of 131 paediatric and adult patients and 7 B-ALL cell lines were analysed to investigate the presence of IKZF1 deletions and its splicing isoforms expression levels, the presence of CRLF2 rearrangements or mutations, CRLF2 expression and JAK2 mutations. Overall survival analyses were performed according to the CRLF2 and IKZF1 subgroups. Our analyses showed that 25.2% of patients exhibited CRLF2 overexpression (CRLF2-high). CRLF2-high was associated with the presence of IKZF1 deletions (IKZF1del, p = 0.001), particularly with those resulting in dominant-negative isoforms (p = 0.006). Moreover, CRLF2 expression was higher in paediatric samples with high loads of the short isoform IK4 (p = 0.011). It was also associated with the occurrence of the IKZF1 plus subgroup (p = 0.004). Furthermore, patients with CRLF2-high/IKZF1del had a poorer prognosis in the RELLA05 protocol (p = 0.067, 36.1 months, 95%CI 0.0-85.9) and adult cohort (p = 0.094, 29.7 months, 95%CI 11.8-47.5). In this study, we show that IKZF1 status is associated with CRLF2-high and dismal outcomes in B-ALL patients regardless of age.
Project description:Overexpression of cytokine receptor-like factor 2 (CRLF2) due to chromosomal rearrangement has been observed in acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) and reported to contribute to oncogenesis and unfavorable outcome in ALL. We studied B-ALL and T-ALL patients without CRLF2 rearrangement and observed that CRLF2 is significantly increased in a subset of these patients. Our study shows that high CRLF2expression correlates with high-risk ALL markers, as well as poor survival. We found that the IKZF1-encoded protein, Ikaros, directly binds to the CRLF2 promoter and regulates CRLF2 expression in leukemia cells. CK2 inhibitor, which can increase Ikaros activity, significantly increases Ikaros binding in ALL cells and suppresses CRLF2 expression in an Ikaros-dependent manner. CRLF2 expression is significantly higher in patients with IKZF1 deletion as compared to patients without IKZF1 deletion. Treatment with CK2 inhibitor also results in an increase in IKZF1 binding to the CRLF2 promoter and suppression of CRLF2 expression in primary ALL cells. We further observed that CK2 inhibitor induces increased H3K9me3 histone modifications in the CRLF2 promoter in ALL cell lines and primary cells. Taken together, our results demonstrate that high expression of CRLF2 correlates with high-risk ALL and short survival in patients without CRLF2 rearrangement. Our results are the first to demonstrate that the IKZF1-encoded Ikaros protein directly suppresses CRLF2 expression through enrichment of H3K9me3 in its promoter region. Our data also suggest that high CRLF2 expression works with the IKZF1 deletion to drive oncogenesis of ALL and has significance in an integrated prognostic model for adult high-risk ALL.
Project description:Class switch recombination (CSR) in B lymphocytes is initiated by introduction of multiple DNA double-strand breaks (DSBs) into switch (S) regions that flank immunoglobulin heavy chain (IgH) constant region exons. CSR is completed by joining a DSB in the donor S mu to a DSB in a downstream acceptor S region (e.g., S gamma1) by end-joining. In normal cells, many CSR junctions are mediated by classical nonhomologous end-joining (C-NHEJ), which employs the Ku70/80 complex for DSB recognition and XRCC4/DNA ligase 4 for ligation. Alternative end-joining (A-EJ) mediates CSR, at reduced levels, in the absence of C-NHEJ, even in combined absence of Ku70 and ligase 4, demonstrating an A-EJ pathway totally distinct from C-NHEJ. Multiple DSBs are introduced into S mu during CSR, with some being rejoined or joined to each other to generate internal switch deletions (ISDs). In addition, S-region DSBs can be joined to other chromosomes to generate translocations, the level of which is increased by absence of a single C-NHEJ component (e.g., XRCC4). We asked whether ISD and S-region translocations occur in the complete absence of C-NHEJ (e.g., in Ku70/ligase 4 double-deficient B cells). We found, unexpectedly, that B-cell activation for CSR generates substantial ISD in both S mu and S gamma1 and that ISD in both is greatly increased by the absence of C-NHEJ. IgH chromosomal translocations to the c-myc oncogene also are augmented in the combined absence of Ku70 and ligase 4. We discuss the implications of these findings for A-EJ in normal and abnormal DSB repair.
Project description:B-cell malignancies, such as human Burkitt's lymphoma, often contain translocations that link c-myc or other proto-oncogenes to the immunoglobulin heavy chain locus (IgH, encoded by Igh). The nature of elements that activate oncogenes within such translocations has been a long-standing question. Translocations within Igh involve DNA double-strand breaks initiated either by the RAG1/2 endonuclease during variable, diversity and joining gene segment (V(D)J) recombination, or by activation-induced cytidine deaminase (AID, also known as AICDA) during class switch recombination (CSR). V(D)J recombination in progenitor B (pro-B) cells assembles Igh variable region exons upstream of mu constant region (Cmu) exons, which are the first of several sets of C(H) exons ('C(H) genes') within a C(H) locus that span several hundred kilobases (kb). In mature B cells, CSR deletes Cmu and replaces it with a downstream C(H) gene. An intronic enhancer (iEmu) between the variable region exons and Cmu promotes V(D)J recombination in developing B cells. Furthermore, the Igh 3' regulatory region (Igh3'RR) lies downstream of the C(H) locus and modulates CSR by long-range transcriptional enhancement of C(H) genes. Transgenic mice bearing iEmu or Igh3'RR sequences fused to c-myc are predisposed to B lymphomas, demonstrating that such elements can confer oncogenic c-myc expression. However, in many B-cell lymphomas, Igh-c-myc translocations delete iEmu and place c-myc up to 200 kb upstream of the Igh3'RR. Here we address the oncogenic role of the Igh3'RR by inactivating it in two distinct mouse models for B-cell lymphoma with Igh-c-myc translocations. We show that the Igh3'RR is dispensable for pro-B-cell lymphomas with V(D)J recombination-initiated translocations, but is required for peripheral B-cell lymphomas with CSR-associated translocations. As the Igh3'RR is not required for CSR-associated Igh breaks or Igh-c-myc translocations in peripheral B-cell lymphoma progenitors, we conclude that this regulatory region confers oncogenic activity by long-range and developmental stage-specific activation of translocated c-myc genes.
Project description:The Myc-deregulating chromosomal T(12;15)(Igh-Myc) translocation, the hallmark mutation of inflammation- and interleukin 6-dependent mouse plasmacytoma (PCT), is the premier model of cancer-associated chromosomal translocations because it is the only translocation in mice that occurs spontaneously (B lymphocyte lineage) and with predictably high incidence (approximately 85% of PCT), and has a direct counterpart in humans: Burkitt lymphoma t(8;14)(q24;q32) translocation. Here, we report on the development of a genetic system for the detection of T(12;15)(Igh-Myc) translocations in plasma cells of a mouse strain in which an enhanced green fluorescent protein (GFP)-encoding reporter gene has been targeted to Myc. Four of the PCTs that developed in the newly generated translocation reporter mice, designated iGFP(5'Myc), expressed GFP consequent to naturally occurring T(12;15) translocation. GFP expression did not interfere with tumor development or the deregulation of Myc on derivative 12 of translocation, der (12), because the reporter gene was allocated to the reciprocal product of translocation, der (15). Although the described reporter gene approach requires refinement before T(12;15) translocations can be quantitatively detected in vivo, including in B lymphocyte lineage cells that have not yet completed malignant transformation, our findings provide proof of principle that reporter gene tagging of oncogenes in gene-targeted mice can be used to elucidate unresolved questions on the occurrence, distribution and trafficking of cells that have acquired cancer-causing chromosomal translocations of great relevance for humans.
Project description:Analysis of 327 consecutive cases at a pediatric referral hospital of Guatemala reveals that retinoblastoma accounts for 9.4% of all cancers and the estimated incidence is 7.0 cases/million children, higher than the United States or Europe. The number of familial cases is low, and there is a striking disparity in indigenous children due to late diagnosis, advanced disease, rapid progression and elevated mortality. Nine germline mutations in 18 patients were found; two known and five new mutations. Hypermethylation of RB1 was identified in 13% of the tumors. An early diagnosis program could identify cases at an earlier age and improve outcome of retinoblastoma in this diverse population.
Project description:IKAROS family zinc finger 1/IKZF1 is a transcription factor important in lymphoid differentiation, and a known tumor suppressor in acute lymphoid leukemia. Recent studies suggest that IKZF1 is also involved in myeloid differentiation. To investigate whether IKZF1 deletions also play a role in pediatric acute myeloid leukemia, we screened a panel of pediatric acute myeloid leukemia samples for deletions of the IKZF1 locus using multiplex ligation-dependent probe amplification and for mutations using direct sequencing. Three patients were identified with a single amino acid variant without change of IKZF1 length. No frame-shift mutations were found. Out of 11 patients with an IKZF1 deletion, 8 samples revealed a complete loss of chromosome 7, and 3 cases a focal deletion of 0.1-0.9Mb. These deletions included the complete IKZF1 gene (n=2) or exons 1-4 (n=1), all leading to a loss of IKZF1 function. Interestingly, differentially expressed genes in monosomy 7 cases (n=8) when compared to non-deleted samples (n=247) significantly correlated with gene expression changes in focal IKZF1-deleted cases (n=3). Genes with increased expression included genes involved in myeloid cell self-renewal and cell cycle, and a significant portion of GATA target genes and GATA factors. Together, these results suggest that loss of IKZF1 is recurrent in pediatric acute myeloid leukemia and might be a determinant of oncogenesis in acute myeloid leukemia with monosomy 7.
Project description:The prevalence, clinicopathologic correlates, and outcomes of previously untreated chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) patients with IGH-BCL2 and IGH-BCL3 translocations are not well known. Using the Mayo Clinic CLL database, we identified patients seen between March 1, 2002 and September 30, 2016 who had FISH testing performed within 3 years of CLL diagnosis. The prognostic profile, time to first therapy (TTT), and overall survival (OS) of patients with IGH-BCL2 and IGH-BCL3 translocation were compared to patients without these abnormalities (non-IGH group). Of 1684 patients who met the inclusion criteria, 38 (2.2%) had IGH-BCL2, and 16 (0.9%) had IGH-BCL3 translocation at diagnosis. Patients with IGH-BCL3 translocation were more likely to have high and very-high CLL-International Prognostic Index, compared to patients with IGH-BCL2 translocation and the non-IGH group. The 5-year probability of requiring therapy was significantly higher for IGH-BCL3 compared to IGH-BCL2 and non-IGH groups (84% vs 33% vs 29%, respectively, P < 0.0001). The 5-year OS was significantly shorter for IGH-BCL3 compared to IGH-BCL2 and non-IGH groups (45% vs 89% vs 86%, respectively, P < 0.0001). On multivariable analyses, IGH-BCL3 translocation was associated with a shorter TTT (hazard ratio [HR] = 2.7; P = 0.005) and shorter OS (HR = 5.5; P < 0.0001); IGH-BCL2 translocation did not impact TTT and OS. In conclusion, approximately 3% of all newly diagnosed CLL patients have either an IGH-BCL2 or IGH-BCL3 translocation. Patients with IGH-BCL3 translocations have a distinct prognostic profile and outcome. These results support the inclusion of an IGH probe during the routine evaluation of FISH abnormalities in newly diagnosed CLL.
Project description:Hispanic/Latino populations possess a complex genetic structure that reflects recent admixture among and potentially ancient substructure within Native American, European, and West African source populations. Here, we quantify genome-wide patterns of SNP and haplotype variation among 100 individuals with ancestry from Ecuador, Colombia, Puerto Rico, and the Dominican Republic genotyped using Illumina technology.