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Objectives Accurate evaluation of analyzers is highly recommended before these devices are broadly introduced for routine testing. Concerning quantification of IgG subclasses (IgGSc), standardization has not yet been reached and thus different assays might lead to different results. Here we report the analytical performances of The Binding Site (TBS) SPAPLUS® human IgGSc assay and the concordance with the Siemens BNII® human IgGSc assay. Design and methods We evaluated precision, LoB, LoD and linearity of TBS SPAPLUS® human IgGSc immunoassay. Quantitation of IgGSc in 53 patients' serum samples was performed in parallel on both analyzers. Results from both assays were compared. Results Analytical performances of the TBS SPAPLUS® human IgGSc assay are acceptable for routine clinical use. According to the method comparison study, TBS assay measures lower values than Siemens assay for IgG1 and IgG4, whereas for IgG2 and IgG3 TBS provides greater values. All assays present a proportional bias, greater in the case of IgG3 and IgG4 assays. Individual subclass agreement, based on the classification of samples within three categories (low, normal and high) according to assay-specific reference intervals, range from 75% (IgG1) to 92% (IgG2). However, total classification agreement over all four subclasses only account for 55% of samples. Conclusion Results obtained from both assays are not interchangeable. Standardization of IgGSc assay and review of the reference ranges must be accomplished in order to achieve a higher degree of agreement between different methods.

The pharmacokinetic profile of intravenous acetaminophen administered to critically ill multiple-trauma patients was studied after 4 consecutive doses of 1 g every 6 hours. Eleven blood samples were taken (predose and 15, 30, 45, 60, 90, 120, 180, 240, 300, and 360 minutes postdose), and urine was collected (during 6-hour intervals between doses) to determine serum and urine acetaminophen concentrations. These were used to calculate the following pharmacokinetic parameters: maximum and minimum concentrations, terminal half-life, area under serum concentration-time curve from 0 to 6 hours, mean residence time, volume of distribution, and serum and renal clearance of acetaminophen. Daily doses of acetaminophen required to obtain steady-state minimum (bolus dosing) and average plasma concentrations (continuous infusion) of 10 μg/mL were calculated (10 μg/mL is the presumed lower limit of the analgesic range). Data are expressed as median [interquartile range]. Twenty-two patients were studied, mostly young (age 44 [34-64] years) males (68%), not obese (weight 78 [70-84] kg). Acetaminophen concentrations and pharmacokinetic parameters were these: maximum concentration 33.6 [25.7-38.7] μg/mL and minimum concentration 0.5 [0.2-2.3] μg/mL, all values below 10 μg/mL and 8 below the detection limit; half-life 1.2 [1.0-1.9] hours; area under the curve for 6 hours 34.7 [29.7-52.7] μg·h/mL; mean residence time 1.8 [1.3-2.6] hours; steady-state volume of distribution 50.8 [42.5-66.5] L; and serum and renal clearance 28.8 [18.9-33.7] L/h and 15 [11-19] mL/min, respectively. Theoretically, daily doses for a steady-state minimum concentration of 10 μg/mL would be 12.2 [7.8-16.4] g/day (166 [112-202] mg/[kg·day]); for an average steady-state concentration of 10 μg/mL, they would be 6.9 [4.5-8.1] g/day (91 [59-111] mg/[kg·day]). In conclusion, administration of acetaminophen at the recommended dosage of 1 g per 6 hours to critically ill multiple-trauma patients yields serum concentrations below 10 μg/mL due to increased elimination. To reach the 10 μg/mL target, and from a strictly pharmacokinetic point of view, continuous infusion may be more feasible than bolus dosing. Such a change in dosing strategy requires appropriate, pharmacokinetic-pharmacodynamic and specific safety study.

Red blood cell distribution width (RDW) is a routine red blood cell count parameter which has been shown to be associated with inflammatory parameters. Recently, some authors proposed that RDW seems to be a marker of an adverse lipidic profile. In order to clarify whether RDW is related to inflammation, plasma lipids, or both, we determined anthropometric, hematimetric, inflammatory and lipidic parameters in 1111 healthy subjects. RDW correlated directly with age, body mass index (BMI), inflammatory parameters (plasma viscosity, erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR), fibrinogen, leukocyte and neutrophil count), and inversely with iron and hematimetric parameters (P 0.05). When subjects were divided according to gender, RDW correlated inversely with triglycerides only in women (P 0.05). When subjects were classified into RDW-quartiles, increased RDW values were accompanied by decreased serum iron levels and hematimetric indices (P 0.01), whereas age and inflammatory markers increased according to RDW-quartiles (P 0.001 and P 0.05, respectively). However, plasma lipids did not change with increasing RDW-quartiles (P 0.05). In the linear regression analysis, age, hemoglobin, MCV (beta coefficient: 0.202, -0.234, -0.316, P 0.001) and fibrinogen (beta coefficient: 0.059, P = 0.048) were the only independent predictors of RDW. The present study indicates that RDW is associated with inflammatory markers and hematimetric indices, but not with plasma lipid levels in a healthy population.

Accurate evaluation of analyzers is highly recommended before these devices are broadly introduced for routine testing. Concerning quantification of IgG subclasses (IgGSc), standardization has not yet been reached and thus different assays might lead to different results. Here we report the analytical performances of The Binding Site (TBS) SPAWe evaluated precision, LoB, LoD and linearity of TBS SPAAnalytical performances of the TBS SPAResults obtained from both assays are not interchangeable. Standardization of IgGSc assay and review of the reference ranges must be accomplished in order to achieve a higher degree of agreement between different methods.

Plasma viscosity (PV) and erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR) are tests which can be used as inflammation and tissue injury markers [2, 11]. ESR usage is more extended than PV in clinical laboratories. However ESR may be haematocrit (Ht) dependent and is related with red blood cell (RBC) rheological properties [1], whereas RBC are not involved in PV. We aimed to evaluate retrospectively the impact of Ht on ESR as an inflammatory marker and compare the results with those of PV in 333 outand in-patients at our hospital. Our study is a human non-interventional retrospective review and written consent is not required for human non-interventional studies. We evaluated both markers in two patient groups of i.e., the first one did not present other inflammatory components measured as C-reactive protein (CRP) below 10 mg/L and fibrinogen below 450 mg/dL (n= 211). The second one presented CRP over 10 mg/L and/or fibrinogen values higher than 450 mg/dL (n= 122). PV and ESR were determined in a capillary plasma viscosimeter (Fresenius GmbH, Germany) at 37◦C and using a Ves matic 30 Plus Analyzer (Diesse Diagnostica Senese, Siena, Italy), respectively. CRP was determined by immunoturbidity in an AU5430 autoanalyzer (Beckman Coulter, Lexington, KY, USA) and fibrinogen analysis was performed in an ACL-TOP 700 autoanalyzer (Instrumentation Laboratory, Bedford, MA, USA).

The pharmacokinetic profile of intravenous acetaminophen administered to critically ill multiple-trauma patients was studied after 4 consecutive doses of 1 g every 6 hours. Eleven blood samples were taken (predose and 15, 30, 45, 60, 90, 120, 180, 240, 300, and 360 minutes postdose), and urine was collected (during 6-hour intervals between doses) to determine serum and urine acetaminophen concentrations. These were used to calculate the following pharmacokinetic parameters: maximum and minimum concentrations, terminal half-life, area under serum concentration-time curve from 0 to 6 hours, mean residence time, volume of distribution, and serum and renal clearance of acetaminophen. Daily doses of acetaminophen required to obtain steady-state minimum (bolus dosing) and average plasma concentrations (continuous infusion) of 10 μg/mL were calculated (10 μg/mL is the presumed lower limit of the analgesic range). Data are expressed as median [interquartile range]. Twenty-two patients were studied, mostly young (age 44 [34-64] years) males (68%), not obese (weight 78 [70-84] kg). Acetaminophen concentrations and pharmacokinetic parameters were these: maximum concentration 33.6 [25.7-38.7] μg/mL and minimum concentration 0.5 [0.2-2.3] μg/mL, all values below 10 μg/mL and 8 below the detection limit; half-life 1.2 [1.0-1.9] hours; area under the curve for 6 hours 34.7 [29.7-52.7] μg·h/mL; mean residence time 1.8 [1.3-2.6] hours; steady-state volume of distribution 50.8 [42.5-66.5] L; and serum and renal clearance 28.8 [18.9-33.7] L/h and 15 [11-19] mL/min, respectively. Theoretically, daily doses for a steady-state minimum concentration of 10 μg/mL would be 12.2 [7.8-16.4] g/day (166 [112-202] mg/[kg·day]); for an average steady-state concentration of 10 μg/mL, they would be 6.9 [4.5-8.1] g/day (91 [59-111] mg/[kg·day]). In conclusion, administration of acetaminophen at the recommended dosage of 1 g per 6 hours to critically ill multiple-trauma patients yields serum concentrations below 10 μg/mL due to increased elimination. To reach the 10 μg/mL target, and from a strictly pharmacokinetic point of view, continuous infusion may be more feasible than bolus dosing. Such a change in dosing strategy requires appropriate, pharmacokinetic-pharmacodynamic and specific safety study.

BackgroundAccurate evaluation of hematology analyzers is recommended before these devices can be broadly introduced for the routine testing of continuous ambulatory peritoneal dialysis (CAPD), ascitic, and pleural fluids. MethodsWe evaluated the performance of Mindray BC-6800 for white blood cell (WBC) and differential cell count in 50 CAPD, 60 ascitic and 40 pleural compared with manual microscopy. Within-run precision, limit of blank (LoB), limit of detection (LoD), limit of quantitation (LoQ), and carryover were assessed. ResultsThe Passing-Bablok regression in all fluids showed the following equations: y(WBC)=1.05x+3.31 (95%CI slope 0.95 to 1.12; intercept -0.25 to 5.52); y(MN)=0.85x+15.63 (95%CI slope 0.72 to 1.05; intercept -24.18 to 84.47); and y(PMN)=1.21x+13.37 (95%CI slope 1.03 to 1.35; intercept 4.00 to 32.47) with bias 78 cells/L. The AUC for clinical PMN cut-off was 0.88 (95%CI: 0.77 to 0.98). In ascitic, pleural, and CAPD fluids the AUC for clinical PMN cut-off were 0.88 (95%CI: 0.63 to 1.00), 0.83 (95%CI: 0.68 to 0.99), and 1.00 (95%CI: 1.00 to 1.00) respectively. CV ranged from 3%-34%. LoB of 3cell/L was verified. LoD and LoQ reported the same result (8cells/L). Carry over never exceeded 0.05%. ConclusionThe effectiveness of BC-6800 to categorize cells from different body fluids was not compromised by the slight positive bias observed. This conclusion is supported by the high AUC and agreement between the automated method and the reference method. The results show that BC-6800 offers rapid, accurate, and reproducible results for clinical management of CAPD, ascitic, and pleural fluids.

We recently described a novel g.8097_22733del14637 deletion encompassing exons 3-5 in BRCA1 gene. This rearrangement was detected in 3 of 15 (20 %) breast and/or ovarian cancer families of Eastern Spain. This finding made us suspect that the newly identified deletion could be a founder mutation. To confirm this hypothesis we studied 18 subjects belonging to the three families under study, 11 deletion carriers and 7 non-carriers. We performed a haplotype analysis using two BRCA1 intragenic microsatellite markers and two markers surrounding the BRCA1 locus. The segregation analysis showed one common particular haplotype established by D17S1325, D17S1323, D17S855 and D17S1320 markers detected in the deletion carriers but absent in the non-carriers. Our study sustain that the deletion of exons 3-5 of BRCA1, g.8097_22733del14637, identified in families of southeastern of the Valencian Community is the first founder rearrangement until now reported in Spanish population, confirming the hypothesis that this mutation could have Iberian ancestry.

Chromosomal translocations in hematological malignancies often result in novel fusion chimeric genes. We report a case of acute myeloid leukemia with a clonal translocation t(11;12)(p15;q13) displaying morphologic and immunophenotypic features resembling the classical hypergranular subtype of acute promyelocytic leukemia. The gene fused to NUP98 (nucleoporin 98) was detected by comparative genomic hybridization array as the retinoid acid receptor gamma gene (RARG). The involvement of RARG in a chimeric fusion transcript has not been reported previously in human leukemia.

The usefulness of the new Chromoprobe Multiprobe AML Panel was evaluated in 80 patients with acute myeloid leukemia (AML) in parallel with conventional cytogenetics. We observed a high concordance using both methods, but the panel was very useful in the detection of an inv(16)(p13q22), a cryptic t(15;17)(q22;q21), and a cryptic deletion of the CBFbeta allele not detected with cytogenetics. Moreover, in six of nine patients (67%) without metaphases or with non-evaluable chromosomes, the panel identified three MLL rearrangements, two monosomy 7, one of them also with del(5q), and one inv(16)(p13q22). Our results indicate that the multiprobe panel can be used as a complementary technique for detection of the most important chromosomal abnormalities in AML using small quantities of sample in only one hybridization experiment. It is also capable of reallocating cases without metaphases or with non-evaluable chromosomes in the appropriate cytogenetic risk group.

Glomerular hyperfiltration and albuminuria are two pathological conditions that could alter renal drug elimination, but they have been rarely studied in a critical care setting. The aims of this descriptive, prospective study performed on 89 critically ill patients are to determine rates of glomerular hyperfiltration (main objective) and albuminuria (secondary objective). On admission, 17.9% of patients presented with glomerular hyperfiltration, climbing to rates as high as 30% during the first week of admission. Seventy-five percent showed albuminuria on admission, with rates remaining high throughout the week of the study. Since glomerular hyperfiltration as well as albuminuria are frequent pathophysiological conditions in critical care patients, the implications that these phenomena may have regarding drug elimination need further evaluation.

Dysregulation of MYBL2 has been associated to tumorigenesis and the S427G polymorphism could induce partial inactivation of MYBL2, associating it with cancer risk. It has previously been shown that MYBL2 was over-expressed in some acute myeloid leukemias (AML), portending poor prognosis. However, to date no studies have investigated the S427G or other genetic variants of MYBL2 in AML. This study analyzed the S427G in 197 AML patients and 179 controls and screened the MYBL2 sequence in patients. In contrast to other studies in solid tumors, the S427G was not associated with the incidence of AML. This study detected four unannotated genetic alterations, of which the Q67X could be involved in MYBL2 dysfunction. Eight polymorphisms were identified, among which the rs73116571, located in a splicing region, was associated with higher incidence in AML and weaker MYBL2 expression, suggesting pre-disposition to AML. Additional functional studies should be performed to verify these genetic variations as possible targets in AML.

Keywords: agin gender g; ed ; r blood cell distribution width. Tothe Editor, We have read with interest the recently published article by Lippi et al. [1] in Clinical Chemistry and Laboratory Medicine about red blood cell distribution width (RDW) and its association with age and gender. RDW is an inex-pensive, easy to calculate parameter that reflects aniso-cytosis which, in recent years, has received growing attention [2] . High RDW has been found to be associated with multiple conditions, such as cardiovascular events [3, 4] or inflammatory diseases [5, 6] . In the paper by Lippi et al. [1] , a strong dependence of RDW upon age and gender is shown in a large popula-tion (n = 1907) of actual and former healthy blood donors. The authors presented evidence of an important associa-tion of increasing RDW with aging. More interestingly, they reported that the proportion of subjects with RDW higher than 14.6% (considered as a biomarker of morbid-ity and mortality in general population [7] ) increased from 6% in < 41 years up to 75% in those older than 90 years [1] . These findings could carry important implications in clinical practice and research dealing with RDW and its association with several conditions, as age (and gender) should be considered an important confounding factor. However, the data reported by Lippi et al. [1] should be carefully evaluated since their sample, although free of diseases, is composed of blood donors in whom habitual marrow stimulation could have an effect on RDW values. This could lead to overestimating the effect of aging on RDW. To further clarify this issue, we have retrospectively analyzed data retrieved from 809 healthy subjects (380 males/429 females) belonging to the La Fe University Hospital staff at the Preventive Medicine Service between 2008 and 2013 to investigate the association of RDW with age and gender. The subjects were explored for diseases and a routine biochemical panel was performed to further discard subjacent conditions. Exclusion criteria included organic (hepatic, cardiac, liver or renal disease), malig-nant, hematological, infectious or inflammatory disease, previous history of ischemic heart disease or stroke, previ-ous thromboembolism, treatment with rheological drugs and secondary obesity (hypothyroidism, Cushing syn-drome) and anemia. Mean corpuscular volume (MCV), mean corpuscular hemoglobin (MCH), hemoglobin and RDW were deter-mined with the hematological autoanalyzer Sysmex XE-2100 (Kobe, Japan). The normality of distributions was analyzed using the Kolgomorov-Smirnov test. The Kruskal-Wallis test with Dunn ’ s comparisons was used to compare the median values of RDW between age groups ( < 20, 20 – 29, 30 – 39, 40 – 4, 950 – 5, 960 – 6, 9 ≥ 0). 7The Mann-Whitney test was used to compare median values between genders in each age group. In addition, the proportion of subjects with RDW higher than 14.6% among age groups was compared using the χ 2 est -t . The association between variables was explored by means of Spearman ’ s correlation coefficient ( ρ ) and multivariate regression analysis, being RDW the dependent variable and hemoglobin, MCV, MCH, gender and age independ-ent variables [adjusted β coefficients ( β *) have been reported]. Statistical analyses were performed using the SPSS (IBM Corporation, Armonk, NY, USA) and Graphpad

Amparo Vayaa,∗, Cristina Gimeneza, Rafael Alisb,c, Julian Muradoa and Oscar Fustera aHemorheology and Haemostasis Unit, Service of Clinical Pathology, La Fe University Hospital, Valencia, Spain bResearch Universitary Institute “Dr. Vina Giner”, Molecular and Mitochondrial Medicine, Catholic University of Valencia “San Vicente Martir”, Valencia, Spain cFaculty of Medicine, Catholic University of Valencia “San Vicente Martir”, Valencia, Spain

WT1 plays a dual role in leukemia development, probably due to an imbalance in the expression of the 4 main WT1 isoforms. We quantify their expression and evaluate them in a series of AML patients. Our data showed a predominant expression of isoform D in AML, although in a lower quantity than in normal CD34+ cells. We found a positive correlation between the total WT1 expression and A, B and C isoforms. The overexpression of WT1 in AML might be due to a relative increase in A, B and C isoforms, together with a relative decrease in isoform D expression.

The MYBL2 gene encodes a transcription factor implicated in cell proliferation and maturation whose amplification or overexpression has been associated with different human malignancies, suggesting that it could be implicated in tumorigenesis. We analyzed MYBL2 expression and its prognostic value in 291 patients with de novo acute myeloid leukemia (AML) and we also evaluated its association with microRNAs 29 and 30 families. MYBL2 expression in AML patients was increased relative to CD34+ cells. Moreover, MYBL2 overexpression was associated with lower expression of miR-30a (P=0.024), miR-30b (P=0.021) and miR-30c (P=0.009). Multivariate analysis showed that MYBL2 expression was an independent factor for disease-free survival (HR 3.0, 95% CI 1.5-6.0, P=0.002) and cumulative incidence of relapse (HR 2.6, 95% CI 1.2-5.6, P=0.015) in patients with an intermediate-risk karyotype. In conclusion, our data showed that MYBL2 expression analysis could be useful to define subgroups of patients with poor prognosis.

The recent World Health Organization classification recognizes different subtypes of acute myeloid leukemia (AML) according to the presence of several recurrent genetic abnormalities. Detection of these abnormalities and other molecular changes is of increasing interest because it contributes to a refined diagnosis and prognostic assessment in AML and enables monitoring of minimal residual disease. These genetic abnormalities can be detected using single RT-PCR, although the screening is still labor intensive and costly. We have developed a novel real-time RT-PCR assay to simultaneously detect 15 AML-associated rearrangements that is a simple and easily applicable method for use in clinical diagnostic laboratories. This method showed 100% specificity and sensitivity (95% confidence interval, 91% to 100% and 92% to 100%, respectively). The procedure was validated in a series of 105 patients with AML. The method confirmed all translocations detected using standard cytogenetics and fluorescence in situ hybridization and some additional undetected rearrangements. Two patients demonstrated two molecular rearrangements simultaneously, with BCR-ABL1 implicated in both, in addition to RUNX1-MECOM in one patient and PML-RARA in another. In conclusion, this novel real-time RT-PCR assay for simultaneous detection of multiple AML-associated fusion genes is a versatile and sensitive method for reliable screening of recurrent rearrangements in AML.

Recently, many novel molecular abnormalities were found to be distinctly associated with acute myeloid leukemia (AML). However, their clinical relevance and prognostic implications are not well established. We developed a new combination of high-resolution melting assays on a LightCycler 480 and direct sequencing to detect somatic mutations of ASXL1 (exon 12), IDH1 (exon 4), IDH2 (exon 4), and c-CBL (exons 8 and 9) genes to know their incidence and prognostic effect in a cohort of 175 patients with de novo AML: 16 patients (9%) carried ASXL1 mutations, 16 patients had IDH variations (3% with IDH1(R132) and 6% with IDH2(R140)), and none had c-CBL mutations. Patients with ASXL1 mutations did not harbor IDH1, [corrected] or CEBPA mutations, and a combination of ASXL1 and IDH2 mutations was found only in one patient. In addition, we did not find IDH1 and FLT3 or CEBPA mutations concurrently or IDH2 with CEBPA. IDH1 and IDH2 mutations were mutually exclusive. Alternatively, NPM1 mutations were concurrently found with ASXL1, IDH1, or IDH2 with a variable incidence. Mutations were not significantly correlated with any of the clinical and biological features studied. High-resolution melting is a reliable, rapid, and efficient screening technique for mutation detection in AML. The incidence for the studied genes was in the range of those previously reported. We were unable to find an effect on the outcome.

The single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) rs16754 of the WT1 gene has been previously described as a possible prognostic marker in normal karyotype acute myeloid leukemia (AML) patients. Nevertheless, the findings in this field are not always reproducible in different series. One hundred and seventy-five adult de novo AML patients were screened with two different methods for the detection of SNP rs16754: high-resolution melting (HRM) and FRET hybridization probes. Direct sequencing was used to validate both techniques. The SNP was detected in 52 out of 175 patients (30 %), both by HRM and hybridization probes. Direct sequencing confirmed that every positive sample in the screening methods had a variation in the DNA sequence. Patients with the wild-type genotype (WT1(AA)) for the SNP rs16754 were significantly younger than those with the heterozygous WT1(AG) genotype. No other difference was observed for baseline characteristic or outcome between patients with or without the SNP. Both techniques are equally reliable and reproducible as screening methods for the detection of the SNP rs16754, allowing for the selection of those samples that will need to be sequenced. We were unable to confirm the suggested favorable outcome of SNP rs16754 in de novo AML.

The aim of the study is to investigate the relevance of rs1056663 and rs2708861 HUS1 polymorphisms, and rs104548, rs2981582 and rs2910164 polymorphisms of CASP8, FGFR2 and micro RNA 146A genes, respectively, as risk modifiers in hereditary breast or ovarian cancer (BC/OC) and risk factors in sporadic BC. We performed a case–control study in 189 healthy controls (CG) and 538 BC/OC cases, 340 with familial history of BC/OC (130 carriers of BRCA1/2 mutations and 210 non-carriers) and 198 sporadic BC/OC. The polymorphisms were assessed by real-time PCR using primers and fluorescent-labelled hybridization probes. We found statistically significant differences between familial BC/OC and CG for rs1056663 and rs2708861 HSU1 polymorphisms and rs2981582 FGFR2 polymorphism, particularly in non-carriers of BRCA1/2 mutations. In this group we found statistical differences for rs1056663 HSU1 and rs2981582 FGFR2 polymorphisms (p-trend

The true prevalence of BRCA1/BRCA2 (BRCAs) germline mutations in sporadic breast or ovarian cancer (SBC/SOC) in Caucasian population is not well established. The aim of the study is to establish the prevalence of BRCAs mutations in SBC to ponder its relevance in the programs of genetic counseling in cancer and to explore the genotype-phenotype relationship of these particular breast cancers. The study was performed in 495 SBC. We sought 46 BRCA1 and 53 BRCA2 pathogenic mutations reported in the Spanish population. We followed a high resolution melting method performed in the LightCycler 480 (Roche Diagnostics) for the screening of these Spanish mutations using 49 primer pairs. Eight different deleterious mutations, one of them novel, were detected in nine patients, five without family history of BC/OC, what yields a true prevalence of 1.05% for BRCAs mutations in SBC. Furthermore, we found 18 unknown variants. Larger tumour size (T > 1) and earlier presentation are the independent parameters associated with the presence of BRCAs pathogenic mutations in SBC (P

Abstract 1469 The Wilms Tumor 1 (WT1) gene was first described as a tumour suppressor gene, but its accurate role in leukemia development has not been completely elucidated. Some authors support the role of WT1 as a prognostic marker in acute myeloid leukemia (AML) based on the assessment of its expression at the mRNA level. However, the prognostic value of the main isoforms of WT1 has been less studied. The aim of this study was to develop a specific quantitative assay to estimate the ratio of expression of the four major WT1 isoforms (A, 5-/KTS-; B, 5+/KTS-; C, 5-/KTS+; D, 5+/KTS+) and to evaluate their prognostic impact. WT1 expression was analyzed in bone marrow samples from 108 patients with AML at diagnosis (65 male/46 female, median age: 61 yr, range: 17 – 91). Likewise, peripheral blood samples of 20 healthy donors and 6 samples of cord blood CD34+ cell selection were analyzed as normal controls. We performed a new method to quantify the ratios of the four major isoforms of WT1. Briefly, to amplify all isoforms within a PCR reaction, specific WT1 primers flanking exon 4 to exon 10 were used in cDNA samples, followed by capillary electrophoresis with laser-induced fluorescence analysis on an ABIPRISM 310 DNA Analyzer (Applied Biosystems, Foster City, CA) and lastly analyzed with the Gene Mapper 4.2 software (Applied Biosystems). The amount of each isoform was calculated by the area under the curve. Subsequent comparisons of isoform ratios were made by standardized calculation of percentage. All values are given as the mean of duplicate PCRs. In parallel, RQ-PCR for total WT1 detection was performed as previously described by Barragan et al. (Haematologica 2004; 89: 926–933). GUS gene was used as housekeeping gene. Eighteen patients (17%) did not express WT1, while 90 patients (83%) overexpressed WT1 above background levels. The median value of each WT1 isoform was: 18% (range: 2 – 73) for A isoform; 16% (range: 7 – 63) for B isoform; 24% (range: 2 – 52) for C isoform; and 33% (range: 3 – 55) for D isoform. None of healthy donors had detectable WT1 levels in peripheral blood. All samples of CD34+ cells expressed the four isoforms of WT1: 21% (range: 2 – 26) for A isoform; 16% (range: 1 – 64) for B isoform; 24% (range: 1 – 47) for C isoform; and 36% (range: 25 – 44) for D isoform. These data reveal that, in our series, the most predominant isoform was +5/+KTS, both in AML and in cord blood CD34+ cell selection samples. There were no significant differences when comparing the proportion of each isoform between the cord blood CD34+ cell selection samples and the cohort of AML patients. There was not significant correlation between the overexpression of total WT1 with the ratio of each isoform, and we were unable to demonstrate that the overexpression of WT1 is due to a particular isoform overexpression. A significant lower event-free survival (EFS) was observed in those patients overexpressing total WT1, taking a cut-off value of 3000 WT1 copies/ GUS copies × 104 (75th percentile, P =.001). However, when the same cut-off as well as the median value for each one of the isoforms was used, we found no significant differences in EFS and in overall survival. To sum up, none of the isoforms were correlated with overexpression of total WT1 or survival. We were unable to find differences between the expression of each isoform of WT1 in CD34+ cells from normal cord blood and in AML patients. Further studies including larger controls need to be carried out. Disclosures: No relevant conflicts of interest to declare.

Background Fms-like tyrosine kinase-3 (FLT3) gene mutations are frequent in acute promyelocytic leukemia but their prognostic value is not well established. Design and Methods We evaluated FLT3-internal tandem duplication and FLT3-D835 mutations in patients treated with all-trans retinoic acid and anthracycline-based chemotherapy enrolled in two subsequent trials of the Programa de Estudio y Tratamiento de las Hemopatias Malignas (PETHEMA) and Hemato-Oncologie voor Volwassenen Nederland (HOVON) groups between 1996 and 2005. Results FLT3-internal tandem duplication and FLT3-D835 mutation status was available for 306 (41%) and 213 (29%) patients, respectively. Sixty-eight (22%) and 20 (9%) patients had internal tandem duplication and D835 mutations, respectively. Internal tandem duplication was correlated with higher white blood cell and blast counts, lactate dehydrogenase, relapse-risk score, fever, hemorrhage, coagulopathy, BCR3 isoform, M3 variant subtype, and expression of CD2, CD34, human leukocyte antigen-DR, and CD11b surface antigens. The FLT3-D835 mutation was not significantly associated with any clinical or biological characteristic. Univariate analysis showed higher relapse and lower survival rates in patients with a FLT3-internal tandem duplication, while no impact was observed in relation to FLT3-D835. The prognostic value of the FLT3-internal tandem duplication was not retained in the multivariate analysis. Conclusions FLT3-internal tandem duplication mutations are associated with several hematologic features in acute promyelocytic leukemia, in particular with high white blood cell counts, but we were unable to demonstrate an independent prognostic value in patients with acute promyelocytic leukemia treated with all-trans retinoic acid and anthracycline-based regimens.

During last years, molecular markers have been increased as prognostic factors routinely screened in acute myeloid leukemia (AML). Recently, an increasing interest has been reported in introducing to clinical practice screening for mutations in the CCAAT/enhancer-binding protein α (CEBPA) gene in AML, as it seems to be a good prognostic factor. However, there is no reliable established method for assessing CEBPA mutations during the diagnostic work-up of AMLs. We describe here a straightforward and reliable fragment analysis method based in PCR capillary electrophoresis (PCR-CE) for screening of CEBPA mutations; moreover, we present the results obtained in 151 intermediate-risk karyotype AML patients (aged 16–80 years). The method gave a specificity of 100% and sensitivity of 93% with a lower detection limit of 1–5% for CEBPA mutations. The series found 19 mutations and four polymorphisms in 12 patients, seven of whom (58%) presented two mutations. The overall frequency of CEBPA mutations in AML was 8% (n = 12). CEBPA mutations showed no coincidence with FLT3-ITD or NPM1 mutations. CEBPA mutation predicted better disease-free survival in the group of patients without FLT3-ITD, NPM, or both genes mutated (HR 3.6, IC 95%; 1.0–13.2, p = 0.05) and better overall survival in patients younger than 65 of this group without molecular markers (HR 4.0, IC 95%; 1.0–17.4, p = 0.05). In conclusion, the fragment analysis method based in PCR-CE is a rapid, specific, and sensitive method for CEBPA mutation screening and our results confirm that CEBPA mutations can identify a subgroup of patients with favorable prognosis in AML with intermediate-risk karyotype.

The Philadelphia (Ph1) chromosome arising from the reciprocal t(9;22) translocation is found in more than 90% of chronic myeloid leukemia (CML) patients and results in the formation of the chimeric fusion geneBCR-ABL. However, a small proportion of patients with CML have simple or complex variants of this translocation, involving various breakpoints in addition to 9q34 and 22q11. We report five CML cases carrying variant Ph translocations involving both chromosomes 9 and 22 as well as chromosomes 3, 5, 7, 8, or 10. G-banding showed a reciprocal three-way translocation involving 3q21, 5q31, 7q32, 8q24, and 10q22 bands.BCR-ABLfusion signal on der(22) was found in all of the cases by FISH.

The most frequent KIT mutations reported in core-binding factor acute myeloid leukemia are point mutations and insertions/deletions in exons 17 and 8. The vast majority of KIT mutation detection procedures are time-consuming, costly, or with a high lower limit of detection. High-resolution melting (HRM) is a gene scanning method that combines simplicity and rapid identification of genetic variants. We describe an HRM method for the simultaneous screening of exons 8 and 17 KIT mutations and report the results obtained in 69 core-binding factor acute myeloid leukemia patients. Mutation detection was compared with sequencing as the gold standard. The HRM method used high-resolution melting master reagents (Roche) and the LightCycler 480 (Roche) platform. HRM was reproducible, showed a lower limit of detection of 1%, and discriminated all patients with mutated KIT from controls without false positive or false negative results. Additionally, most of the mutations were differentiated from the other mutations. KIT mutations were present in 15.9% of patients, showing a higher incidence in inv(16) (25.8%) than in t(8;21) (7.9%). The presence of a KIT mutation was associated with a high white blood cell count, and adult patients with an exon 17 mutation had a higher incidence of relapse. These findings verify that HRM is a reliable, rapid, and sensitive method for KIT mutation screening. Furthermore, our study corroborates the unfavorable prognosis associated with exon 17 KIT mutations. (J Mol Diagn 2009,11:458-463; DOI: 10.2353/jmoldx.2009.090043)

Molecular analysis of minimal residual disease is only applicable in acute myeloblastic leukemia (AML) patients with genetic markers (20-30%). This study analyzes the feasibility of the real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction (RQ-PCR) assay to detect mutant nucleophosmin (NPM1) during follow-up in AML patients. Moreover, we compare the NPM1 results with those of WT1 expression to MRD assessment.The study includes 97 samples from 24 AML patients with type A NPM1 mutation at diagnosis. MRD was evaluated simultaneous by RQ-PCR assay to detect NPM1-mutated and WT1 expression.The expression levels of WT1 and NPM1 in 93 paired samples showed a strong positive correlation (r=0.81; p0.0001). However, the kinetics of disappearance were different, WT1 decreased rapidly after induction but maintained these residual levels after treatment in patients in complete remission, whereas NPM1 experienced a mild reduction after induction but was undetectable in long survivor patients.This study shows the feasibility of the RQ-PCR assay to monitor MRD in AML patients carrying NPM1 mutations and its advantage over RQ-PCR assay for WT1. Owing to NPM1-mutated is specific of leukemic cells and shows higher levels at presentation.

Abstract 3539 Background: Microdeletions of genes involved in B lymphopoiesis and cell-cycle regulation, such as CDKN2A/B, PAX5, IKZF1, ETV6, RB1, BTG1 and EBF1 have been reported as a frequent event in pediatric acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL). Whether these findings are found in adulthood and the possible differences with childhood ALL, as well as its prognostic implication, are still unknown. Aims: To assess the differences between two cohorts of children and adults diagnosed with ALL on the frequency of deletions in these genes and their relationship with clinical data and prognosis. Methods: We studied 70 children and 83 adults diagnosed with ALL with available DNA sample at diagnosis. In children, median age was 4y. (1 – 14), median leukocytes 10.3×109/L (0.7 – 675) and the cytogenetic risk distribution was 42(39%), 30(27%) and 12(11%) for favourable [t(12;21) and hyperdiploidy], intermediate (normal karyotype and miscellaneous) and high risk [t(9;22), t(4;11), hypodiploid and complex karyotype], respectively. In adults, median age was 38y. (15 – 85), median leukocytes 16.8×109/L (1 – 371) and 29(35%) patients belonged to the high risk cytogenetic group. We performed Multiplex Ligation Probe Amplification (MLPA) using SALSA kit P335-A1 (MRC-Holland). PCR products were separated on an ABIPRISM 310 DNA Analyzer and analyzed using GeneMapper v3.2 (Applied Biosystems). Results: Frequency of deletions in the studied genes was similar in children and adults, except for IKZF1 deletions that were more frequent in adults (P In children, ETV6 deletions occurred more frequently in patients with t(12;21) (67% of patients with deletion vs. 17% without, P In adults, ETV6 and CDKN2A/B deletions occurred more frequently in women (67% vs. 39%, P =.022 and 77% vs. 42%, P =.021, for patients with and without deletions, respectively); PAX5 and IKZF1 deletions appeared more frequently in patients with >30×109/L leukocytes (60% vs. 27%, P =.032 and 52% vs. 21%, P =.007, for patients with and without deletions, respectively); besides, PAX5 deletions occurred in patients who belonged to the standard cytogenetic risk group (55% vs. 6% for patients with and without deletions, P In the pediatric cohort, the leukocytes >30×109/L and the cytogenetic risk group were the variables that reached statistical significance for both overall survival (OS) and relapse free survival (RFS) and also age >10y. for OS, but in the multivariate analyses, just the cytogenetic risk classification remained significant [HR: 4 (CI 95%: 1.6 – 10), P =. 004 for OS and HR: 3.5 (CI 95%: 1.7 – 7.2), P =. 001 for RFS]. In the adult cohort, multivariate analysis for OS including all significant variables in the univariate analysis (age >60y, karyotype, CDKN2A/B and ETV6 deletions) showed as independent variables: age >60y. [HR: 4.3 (CI 95%: 2.1 – 8.6), P Conclusions: This study shows the high incidence of deletions in genes of cell-cycle and B-lymphopoiesis in adult and pediatric ALL. However, the biological and prognostic implications of these deletions seem to differ between both patient groups: while cytogenetics was the strongest variable for risk assessment in children, gene microdeletions in CDKN2A/B and ETV6 added a prognostic value to karyotype in our adult cohort. Fundings: AP-194/10, R06/0020/0031, BES2008–008053, CM10/00321, CM09/00038, and CA08/00141. Disclosures: No relevant conflicts of interest to declare.

Abstract 1450 The clinical relevance and prognostic implications of some recently identified mutations in acute myeloid leukemia (AML) is not yet well established. Among them, we have selected to be analyzed those affecting the following genes: Additional Sex Combs-Like 1 (ASXL1), Isocitrate Dehydrogenase (IDH1 and IDH2), Casitas B-lineage Lymphoma (c-CBL), and Wilms Tumor 1 (WT1). They have been previously reported with a variable incidence: ASXL1 mutations in 10.8% patients with normal karyotype (NK), IDH1 and IDH2 mutations in 8 – 33% of de novo AML, c-CBL mutations in 2% of de novo AML, and WT1 mutations in 5–12% of de novo AML patients. In order to know the incidence and prognostic impact of these mutations and their possible cooperative role in leukemogenesis, we have screened for ASXL1, IDH1, IDH2, c-CBL, WT1, FLT3, NPM1 and CEBPa, mutations in a cohort of de novo AML patients from a single centre. We studied 174 de novo AML patients [98M/76F; median age: 62 yr. (range: 16 – 88); favourable (n= 13), intermediate (n= 86) and high (n= 51) cytogenetic risk classification by the MRC group]. DNA was isolated from bone marrow samples obtained at diagnosis. In order to determine cooperating mutations, we developed a new combination of high-resolution melting (HRM) assays on a LightCycler® 480 and lastly direct sequencing, to detect somatic mutations for ASXL1 (exon 12), IDH1 (exon 4), IDH2 (exon 4), WT1 (exons 7, 8 and 9) and c-CBL (exons 8 and 9). All mutations reported in this study were confirmed al least twice. FLT3 (ITD and D835Y), NPM1 (exon 12) and CEBPa were performed as described previously by standard methods. Sequence analysis was checked by its corresponding GeneBank Accession Number. The number of patients found to carry mutations in our series was: 16 patients with ASXL1 mutations (9.2%), 16 patients with IDH mutations (2.9% had a IDH1R132, 12.6% the SNP rs11554137 and 6.3% IDH2R140), 5 patients with WT1 mutations (2.9%), 37 patients with FLT3 mutations (21.3%), 44 patients with NPM1 mutations (25,3%) and 8 patients with CEBPa mutations (4.6%). No mutations where found in c-CBL. We could not found a pattern of cooperating mutations in the studied group of genes. WT1, FLT3 and NPM1 were associated with leukocyte count >30 × 109/L at diagnosis (80% vs. 31% for WT1, P =0,022; 68% vs. 22% for FLT3, P= 0.001; and 50% vs. 24% for NPM1, P= 0.002; in mutated vs. wild-type patients, respectively). WT1 was also associated with a platelet count > 50 × 109/L at diagnosis (100% vs. 57% in mutated vs. wild-type patients, respectively; P =0,048). Besides, FLT3 and NPM1 mutations were more frequent in the intermediate cytogenetic risk group (82% and 74%; P =0.004 and P =0.047; respectively). ASXL1 and IDH mutations were not correlated with any of the clinical and biological features studied. In univariate analysis, only age and cytogenetics had an impact on overall survival (OS, median of 12mo vs. 3mo, for patients < and ≥65 yr., P In multivariate analysis in patients with intermediate cytogenetic risk, the age [HR (95% CI) = 3.3 (1.9 − 5.9) P To sum up, the incidence found for the studied genes was lower than the previously reported: ASXL1, 9.2%; IDH1R132, 2.9%; IDH2R140, 6.3%; WT1, 2.9%; and c-CBL, 0%. We were unable to find a pattern of cooperating mutations in the studied group of genes or any impact of these mutations on the outcome. Disclosures: No relevant conflicts of interest to declare.

Abstract 2742 Molecular monitoring of BCR/ABL transcripts by real time quantitative reverse transcription PCR (qRT-PCR) is an essential technique for clinical management of patients with BCR/ABL-positive CML and ALL. Though quantitative BCR/ABL assays are performed in hundreds of laboratories worldwide, results among these laboratories cannot be reliably compared due to heterogeneity in test methods, data analysis, reporting, and lack of quantitative standards. Recent efforts towards standardization have been limited in scope. Aliquots of RNA were sent to clinical test centers worldwide in order to evaluate methods and reporting for e1a2, b2a2, and b3a2 transcript levels using their own qRT-PCR assays. Total RNA was isolated from tissue culture cells that expressed each of the different BCR/ABL transcripts. Serial log dilutions were prepared, ranging from 100 to 10−5, in RNA isolated from HL60 cells. Laboratories performed 5 independent qRT-PCR reactions for each sample type at each dilution. In addition, 15 qRT-PCR reactions of the 10−3 b3a2 RNA dilution were run to assess reproducibility within and between laboratories. Participants were asked to run the samples following their standard protocols and to report cycle threshold (Ct), quantitative values for BCR/ABL and housekeeping genes, and ratios of BCR/ABL to housekeeping genes for each sample RNA. Thirty-seven (n=37) participants have submitted qRT-PCR results for analysis (36, 37, and 34 labs generated data for b2a2, b3a2, and e1a2, respectively). The limit of detection for this study was defined as the lowest dilution that a Ct value could be detected for all 5 replicates. For b2a2, 15, 16, 4, and 1 lab(s) showed a limit of detection at the 10−5, 10−4, 10−3, and 10−2 dilutions, respectively. For b3a2, 20, 13, and 4 labs showed a limit of detection at the 10−5, 10−4, and 10−3 dilutions, respectively. For e1a2, 10, 21, 2, and 1 lab(s) showed a limit of detection at the 10−5, 10-4, 10-3, and 10-2 dilutions, respectively. Log %BCR/ABL ratio values provided a method for comparing results between the different laboratories for each BCR/ABL dilution series. Linear regression analysis revealed concordance among the majority of participant data over the 10-1 to 10-4 dilutions. The overall slope values showed comparable results among the majority of b2a2 (mean=0.939; median=0.9627; range (0.399 – 1.1872)), b3a2 (mean=0.925; median=0.922; range (0.625 – 1.140)), and e1a2 (mean=0.897; median=0.909; range (0.5174 – 1.138)) laboratory results (Fig. 1–3)). Thirty-four (n=34) out of the 37 laboratories reported Ct values for all 15 replicates and only those with a complete data set were included in the inter-lab calculations. Eleven laboratories either did not report their copy number data or used other reporting units such as nanograms or cell numbers; therefore, only 26 laboratories were included in the overall analysis of copy numbers. The median copy number was 348.4, with a range from 15.6 to 547,000 copies (approximately a 4.5 log difference); the median intra-lab %CV was 19.2% with a range from 4.2% to 82.6%. While our international performance evaluation using serially diluted RNA samples has reinforced the fact that heterogeneity exists among clinical laboratories, it has also demonstrated that performance within a laboratory is overall very consistent. Accordingly, the availability of defined BCR/ABL RNAs may facilitate the validation of all phases of quantitative BCR/ABL analysis and may be extremely useful as a tool for monitoring assay performance. Ongoing analyses of these materials, along with the development of additional control materials, may solidify consensus around their application in routine laboratory testing and possible integration in worldwide efforts to standardize quantitative BCR/ABL testing. Download : Download high-res image (127KB) Download : Download full-size image Download : Download high-res image (127KB) Download : Download full-size image Download : Download high-res image (128KB) Download : Download full-size image Disclosure: Sher: Invivoscribe Technologies Inc: Employment. Miller: Invivoscribe Technologies Inc: Employment. Huang: Invivoscribe Technologies Inc: Employment. Shaw: Invivoscribe Technologies Inc: Employment.