Expression of interferon-alpha (IFN-alpha) receptor 2c at diagnosis is associated with cytogenetic response in IFN-alpha-treated chronic myeloid leukemia
C. Barthe et al., Expression of interferon-alpha (IFN-alpha) receptor 2c at diagnosis is associated with cytogenetic response in IFN-alpha-treated chronic myeloid leukemia, BLOOD, 97(11), 2001, pp. 3568-3573
For the management of chronic myeloid leukemia (CML), prediction or early d
etermination of the response to interferon-alpha (IFN-alpha) treatment is i
mportant for identifying nonresponder patients to whom alternative therapy
may be proposed. In this study, the levels of expression of both BCR-ABL an
d subunit 2c of IFN-alpha receptor (IFN-alpha R2c) genes were analyzed at d
iagnosis in 74 patients with chronic phase CML treated with an IFN-alpha mo
notherapy. By using blood samples, real-time quantitative polymerase chain
reaction was performed to quantify BCR- ABL, IFN-alpha R2c, and G6PDH mRNA
as external control. The results were compared with hematologic and cytogen
etic responses to IFN-alpha, A wide variation in the BCR-ABL/G6PDH ratio wa
s observed at diagnosis (median, 6.68%; range, 0.18%-41.31 %), but no signi
ficant association with response to IFN-alpha was observed, In contrast, th
e variation of IFN-alpha R2c/G6PDH ratio at diagnosis was significantly ass
ociated with the achievement of major cytogenetic response (MCR; 34% or low
er Ph+ metaphases). Median Values of IFN-alpha R2c/G6PDH ratio for patients
achieving MCR and for those who did not achieve it were 110.75% (range, 9.
47%-612.30%) and 64.42% (range, 5.96%-425.40%), respectively (P = .037), in
addition, this novel molecular factor, combined with the achievement of co
mplete hematologic response at 3 months, makes it possible to predict MCR a
chievement with high probability by Kaplan-Meier analysis (91% +/- 17% at 2
4 months; P = .0001), (Blood.2001;97:3568-3573) (C) 2001 by The American So
ciety of Hematology.