Whole transcriptome RNA sequencing as comprehensive diagnostic tool for acute myeloid leukemia.

BackgroundAcute myeloid leukemia (AML) is characterized by uncontrolled proliferation of malignant hematopoietic cells in the bone marrow that are arrested in differentiation. In AML pathogenesis, hematopoietic progenitor cells acquire multiple genetic aberrations often occurring in the same set of genes that ultimately lead to malignant transformation. In the WHO classification 2016, six AML classes with different prognosis are identified by chromosomal translocations measured by standard cytogenetics. All balanced translocations produce fusion genes, except for t(3;3)/inv(3;3), which lead to overexpression of MECOM/EVI1 associated with poor prognosis. For accurate risk assessment of cytogenetically normal AML, four genes need to be screened to distinguish AML with mutated NPM1 in the absence of FLT3 mutations and AML with bi-allelic CEBPA mutations, which have a favorable prognosis, and AML with RUNX1 mutations which have a poor prognosis. Recently, a full genomic classification system has been proposed by Papaemmanuil et al. (NEJM 2016). In this system, the same six classes with chromosomal translocations are identified by standard cytogenetics as well as five additional classes characterized by genetic mutations in 14 different genes. AimThe aim of the study was to investigate whether whole transcriptome RNA-sequencing (RNAseq) can be used as single technology for classification of AML. MethodA panel of 100 AML were analyzed and a bio-informatics pipeline called HAMLET (Human AML Expedited Transcriptomics) was developed in which 4 modules are integrated to detect (1) fusion genes, (2) small variants in 13 recurrently mutated genes, (3) internal tandem duplications in FLT3 (FLT3-ITD) and partial tandem duplications in KMT2A (KMT2A-PTD) and (4) overexpression of MECOM/EVI1. All mutations that were called by HAMLET were validated by diagnostic data as available for all 100 AML or targeted PCR followed by Sanger or next generation sequencing on all positive AML and at least an equal number of negative cases. Results & discussionThe data showed that HAMLET accurately identified all genetic aberrations with high sensitivity and specificity. In addition, in 7 AML, fusion transcripts were detected that are not measured by standard cytogenetics including three cases that lack any class-defining lesion according to Papaemmanuil et al. Moreover, overexpression of MECOM/EVI1 was detected in two AML with inv(3) as well as in five cases without inv(3)/t(3;3), and a gene signature was measured to distinguish AML with CEBPA mutations with favorable prognosis. In conclusion, HAMLET provides a comprehensive and flexible pipeline for RNAseq analysis to retrieve all relevant information for current classification of AML as well as additional information that may improve classification in the future.

Type: Other
Archiver: European Genome-Phenome Archive (EGA)

1 Dataset 2 Publications

Click on a Dataset ID in the table below to learn more, and to find out who to contact about access to these data

Dataset ID	Description	Technology	Samples
EGAD00001004187	One hundred cryopreserved bone marrow and peripheral blood samples from patients with acute myeloid leukemia (AML) with 10-90% blasts were selected from the biobank of the Department of Hematology of Leiden University Medical Center (LUMC). The AML cases cover all subtypes, and specifically include known subtype-defining balanced chromosomal translocations according to the WHO classification. The samples were obtained from 96 patients and include three pairs of de novo and relapsed AML and one pair of de novo and presumed therapy-related AML (tAML). Total RNA was isolated from mononuclear cells without prior enrichment for leukemic blasts. The quality and integrity of total RNA was checked and RNA libraries were prepared using the TruSeq RNA library preparation kit v2 (Illumina, San Diego, CA) in an ISO/IEC 17025-accredited protocol. This workflow started with enrichment of messenger RNA by oligo dT magnetic beads. After fragmentation, cDNA synthesis was performed, followed by adaptor ligation and PCR amplification. Paired-end sequencing with a read length of 126 bp was performed on an Illumina HiSeq 2500 v4 sequencer to at least 12.5 Gbp per sample. Image analysis, base calling, and quality check was performed with Illumina data analysis pipeline RTA v1.18.64 and Bcl2fastq v1.8.4. RNAseq reads are provided in compressed Sanger FASTQ format.	Illumina HiSeq 2500	100

Publications	Citations
Comprehensive diagnostics of acute myeloid leukemia by whole transcriptome RNA sequencing. Arindrarto W, Borràs DM, de Groen RAL, van den Berg RR, Locher IJ, van Diessen SAME, van der Holst R, van der Meijden ED, Honders MW, de Leeuw RH, Verlaat W, Jedema I, Kroes WGM, Knijnenburg J, van Wezel T, Vermaat JSP, Valk PJM, Janssen B, de Knijff P, van Bergen CAM, van den Akker EB, Hoen PAC', Kiełbasa SM, Laros JFJ, Griffioen M, Veelken H. Leukemia 35: 2021 47-61	27
Novel Diagnostic and Therapeutic Options for <i>KMT2A</i>-Rearranged Acute Leukemias. Lopes BA, Poubel CP, Teixeira CE, Caye-Eude A, Cavé H, Meyer C, Marschalek R, Boroni M, Emerenciano M. Front Pharmacol 13: 2022 749472	5

Publications

Citations

Comprehensive diagnostics of acute myeloid leukemia by whole transcriptome RNA sequencing.
Arindrarto W, Borràs DM, de Groen RAL, van den Berg RR, Locher IJ, van Diessen SAME, van der Holst R, van der Meijden ED, Honders MW, de Leeuw RH, Verlaat W, Jedema I, Kroes WGM, Knijnenburg J, van Wezel T, Vermaat JSP, Valk PJM, Janssen B, de Knijff P, van Bergen CAM, van den Akker EB, Hoen PAC', Kiełbasa SM, Laros JFJ, Griffioen M, Veelken H. Leukemia 35: 2021 47-61

Novel Diagnostic and Therapeutic Options for <i>KMT2A</i>-Rearranged Acute Leukemias.
Lopes BA, Poubel CP, Teixeira CE, Caye-Eude A, Cavé H, Meyer C, Marschalek R, Boroni M, Emerenciano M. Front Pharmacol 13: 2022 749472