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We evaluated the mutational landscape of chronic myelomonocytic leukemia (CMML) and its potential clinical significance. We analyzed 47 samples with a panel of 112 genes using next-generation sequencing. Forty-five of the 47 patients (95.74%) had at least one mutation identified, with an average of 3.7 (range 0-9) per patient. The most common mutation was NRAS, followed by ASXL1, TET2, SRSF2, RUNX1, KRAS, and SETBP1. Patients 60 years and older more frequently had mutations in TET2 (56% vs. 9.09%, P = 0.001) and ASXL1 (48% vs. 18.18%, P = 0.031) than patients younger than 60 years. Median overall survival (OS) in patients with CMML was 22.0 months (95% CI 19.7-24.3 months). ASXL1 (18 vs. 22 months, P = 0.012), RUNX1 (17 vs. 22 months, P = 0.001), and SETBP1 (20 vs. 27 months, P = 0.032) mutations predicted inferior OS. However, only RUNX1 mutation was significantly associated with inferior acute myeloid leukemia (AML)-free survival. Our data showed that mutation profile differed significantly between CMML patients aged 60 years and older versus those younger than 60 years, and some of these mutations impact the progression and prognosis of the disease to a certain extent.

Introduction: Several studies have confirmed that mutations in the Wilms tumor 1 (WT1) gene occur in adult acute myeloid leukemia (AML). However, few data are available regarding the incidence of WT1 mutations in CEBPAmut AML and their impact. Methods: We retrospectively analyzed the frequency and clinical impact of WT1 mutations in 220 newly diagnosed AML patients with CEBPA mutations. Chromosome karyotype analysis was performed by R or G banding method and further confirmed either by fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) and/or by multiple reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (multiple RT-PCR). Mutations were detected with a panel of 112 mutational genes using next-generation sequencing (NGS). FLT3-ITD, NPM1 and CEBPA mutation were detected by PCR Sanger sequencing.Results: Overall, 30 WT1 mutations were detected in 29 of the 220 patients (13.18%) screened. These mutations clustered overwhelmingly in exon 7 (16 mutations in 15 patients), but they were also detected in exon 8 (n=6) and exon 9 (n=8). WT1-mutated (WT1mut) patients presented with lower platelet counts (P=0.0481), higher WT1 expression (P=0.0371), and a negative trend with the M5 subtype (P=0.07) compared to WT wild-type (WTwt) patients. WT1 mutations were found to be significantly more frequent in AML patients with double-mutated CEBPA (CEBPAdm) than in AML patients with single-mutated CEBPA (P=0.043). Of note, the concomitant mutations in epigenetic regulators were inversely correlated with WT1 mutations (P=0.003). Patients with newly diagnosed WT1mut AML had inferior relapse-free survival, event-free survival and overall survival compared with patients with WT1wt AML (P=0.002, 0.004, and 0.010, respectively). Conclusion: Our data showed that WT1 mutations are frequently identified in CEBPAmut AML, especially in CEBPAdm AML. Patients with WT1 mutations show distinct clinical features, a spectrum of comutations, and poor prognosis compared to WT1 wild-type patients.

Objectives: The 8p11 myeloproliferative syndrome (EMS) is an extremely rare, generally aggressive haematologic malignancies. This study provided the clinical outcomes and therapeutic strategies for...

Introduction: RUNX1 mutations in acute myeloid leukemia (AML) and myelodysplastic syndromes (MDS) are associated with distinct clinicopathologic features. However, the clinical and laboratory chara...

Highlights l Next generation sequencing (NGS) applied to establish clonality in a patient with hypereosinophilia. l The first study reported the clonal evolution in a long-term follow-up patient from CEL-NOS stage to MDS and s-AML. l Disease progression was associated with clonal evolution., The natural history of primary hypereosinophilia remains poorly defined, given the underlying disease heterogeneity. Recently, targeted NGS helps to establish clonality in a subset of patients with hypereosinophilia. We first reported the clonal evolution in a long-term follow-up patient with hypereosinophilia. This case initially presented with chronic eosinophilic leukemia, not otherwise specified (CEL-NOS), successively transformed to myelodysplastic syndromes (MDS) and acute myeloid leukemia(s-AML). We identified three mutations at CEL-NOS phase, five and seven mutations at MDS and s-AML stages, respectively. Our data illustrate the clonal dynamic process associated with disease evolution from CEL-NOS to s-AML.

INTRODUCTION Cytogenetics and molecular testings for disease classifying and prognosis estimation are becoming routine in clinical practice. However, the molecular characteristics of acute monocytic leukemia (AML-M5) remain unclear. The aim of this study was to investigate the association between karyotypes and gene mutations, especially in AML-M5 patients with 11q23/KMT2A (MLL) rearrangement and normal karyotype. METHODS A total of 126 de novo AML-M5 patients were screened for mutations in the 51 genes known or suspected to have a role in myeloid malignancies or in monocytic differentiation using next-generation sequencing (NGS). Chromosome karyotype analysis was performed by R-banding method and further confirmed either by fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) and/or by multiple reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (multiple RT-PCR). RESULTS Of the 126 patients, one or more mutations were detected in 83.3% patients. FLT3-ITD and NRAS had the highest mutation frequency, followed by NPM1, DNMT3A, TET2, KRAS, and RUNX1. We also identified a significant difference in mutational spectrums between KMT2A-rearranged (KMT2Ar) patients and normal karyotype (NK) patients, as reflected in the average number of gene mutations per patient (1.66 vs 2.46), and in the frequencies of commonly mutated genes (FLT3-ITD: 6% vs 43.5%; NPM1: 0% vs 43.5%; RUNX1: 2.0% vs 15.2%; DNMT3A: 4% vs 26.1%; KRAS: 24.0% vs 4.35%). Patients harboring ≥3 mutations showed much lower complete remission rate than that with double mutations (P = 0.043) in high-risk group. CONCLUSION There was a significantly different mutation profile between KMT2Ar-patients and NK patients. Our research provided new insight into the molecular characteristics of AML-M5.

Semi-solid processing of magnesium alloys is generally based on conventional magnesium-based casting alloys such as Mg–Al series. However, these casting alloys do not give such high mechanical properties as the alloys that are conventionally wrought such as Mg–Zn series. In this paper, a ZK60 magnesium alloy with the addition of Y was thixoforged. The semi-solid thermal transformation (SSTT) route and the recrystallisation and partial melting (RAP) route were used to obtain the semi-solid feedstocks for thixoforging. Microstructural evolution during partial remelting was studied at temperatures for times. Tensile mechanical properties of thixoforged components at room temperature were examined. Results show that a fine spheroidal microstructure can be obtained by the RAP route. Compared to the RAP route, the SSTT alloy shows coarsened solid grains with a relatively high proportion of intragranular liquid droplets. With prolonged holding time, the solid grain sizes of the SSTT alloy and the RAP alloy increased. Coalescence was dominant in the SSTT alloy and Ostwald ripening was dominant in the RAP alloy. Thixoforging for the SSTT alloy and the RAP alloy resulted in successful filling of the die. The tensile properties of the thixoforged RAP alloy were satisfactory and exceeded those of the thixoforged SSTT alloy. However, the mechanical properties of both the thixoforged SSTT alloy and the thixoforged RAP alloy decreased with prolonged holding time.

A previously healthy 47-year-old Chinese man presented in January 2009 with extreme fatigue, fever, and night sweats. Hepatomegaly (palpable, 2 cm in the right hypochondrium) and splenomegaly (palpable, 2 cm in the left hypochondrium) were identified, and axillary lymph nodes were swollen. A laboratory investigation showed a white blood cell (WBC) count of 39.8 × 109/L with eosinophils 52% (absolute eosinophil count of 20.7 × 109/L), hemoglobin level of 14.9 g/dl and platelet count of 50.0 × 109/L. Bone marrow (BM) aspirate revealed hypercellular and occupied by approximately 22.0% blasts; eosinophils comprised 23.5% of total cellularity [Figure 1a]. Flow cytometry of these blast cells demonstrated expression of CD13, CD33, CD34, CD117, CD14, CD15, and human leukocyte antigen-DR indicating that myeloblasts were presented. Cytogenetic studies on BM showed a 46, XY, t (8;13)(p11.2;q12.1)[15]/46, idem,-7, der (14), +Mar[5] karyotype [Figure 1c]. Reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) was performed to detect gene rearrangements of BCR/ABL, FIPIL1/PDGFRA, TEL/PDGFRB were all negative as well as c-KIT and JAK2V617F mutations. Fluorescence in situ hybridization using a dual-fusion probe confirmed FGFR1 gene rearrangement [Figure 1b], the ZNF198-FGFR1 fusion test was done by RT-PCR using ZNF198-and FGFR1-specific primers (5′-TCCCTGTGCCTGTG TATATCCC-3′ and 5′-CGGGAAGCTCATACTCAGAGAC-3′, respectively) and showed a specific amplification product of 195 bp [Figure 1d]. Sequencing identified an in-frame fusion of exon 17 of ZNF198 to exon 9 of FGFR1 [Figure 1e], which was indicative of 8p11 myeloproliferative syndrome (EMS, World Health Organization [WHO] 2008, myeloid and lymphoid neoplasms with FGFR1 abnormalities[1]). Treatment was started with imatinib (400 mg once daily) plus urbason (40 mg once daily) at day 5, about 2 weeks after initiating treatment, WBC count (30.43 × 109/L) did not achieve a significant decrease and the level of hemoglobin and platelet count gradually reduced to 8.6 g/dl and 10.0 × 109/L, respectively. Therefore, imatinib and urbason therapy was stopped. Subsequently, the patient received AA (aclacinomycin plus cytarabine) regimen and had a marked initial response to the first cycle of chemotherapy: The WBC and platelet count returned to normal. However, 25 days later, the patient again developed worse, his WBC rose to 52.7 × 109/L. BM study revealed inadequate aspirate due to dry tap. At the time, a bone biopsy was performed and revealed a hypercellular with marked hypereosinophilia. High-dose cytarabine therapy was recommended and completed. Nonetheless, the patient failed to respond to aggressive chemotherapy and supportive treatment. He died in May 2009, 5 months after the initial diagnosis. Figure 1 (a) Morphologic changes of bone marrow (BM) smear (Wrighte Giemsa, 1 000) showed markedly increased abnormal myeloblasts with eosinophils. (b) Fluorescence in situ hybridization analysis of BM cells with an FGFR1 break-apart DNA probe revealing FGFR1 ...