Gene expression profiling of atypical T-ALL

Despite improved therapy, approximately one-fifth of children with acute T-lymphoblastic leukemia (T-ALL) succumb to the disease, suggesting unrecognized biologic heterogeneity that may contribute to drug resistance. We studied leukemic cells, collected at diagnosis, to identify features that could define this high-risk subgroup. A total of 139 patients with T-ALL were treated consecutively from 1992 to 2006 at this institution. Their leukemic cells were examined with multiparameter flow cytometry, single nucleotide polymorphism arrays and other methods of genomic analysis. Survival rates and probabilities of treatment failure were calculated for subgroups considered to have biologically distinct forms of T-ALL.

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Coustan-Smith E, Mullighan CG, Onciu M, Behm FG, Raimondi SC, Pei D, Cheng C, Su X, Rubnitz JE, Basso G, Biondi A, Pui CH, Downing JR, Campana D