RANBP2-ALK fusion combined with monosomy 7 in acute myelomonocytic leukemia

Anaplastic lymphoma receptor tyrosine kinase (ALK) is located on chromosome 2p23; the chromosomal rearrangements of this gene are common genetic alterations, resulting in the creation of multiple fusion genes involved in tumorigenesis. However, the presence of an ALK fusion in myeloid malignancies is extremely rare. We report a case of acute myelomonocytic leukemia in a 31-year-old woman with an unusual rearrangement between RAN-binding protein 2 (RANBP2) and ALK and a karyotype of 45,XX,inv(2)(p23q21),-7[20]. We detected an ALK rearrangement using fluorescence in situ hybridization, identified the ALK fusion partner by using RNA transcriptome sequencing, and demonstrated the RANBP2-ALK fusion transcript by reverse transcriptase--PCR and Sanger sequencing. Immunohistochemistry for ALK showed strong staining of the nuclear membrane in leukemic cells. The patient had an unfavorable clinical course. Our results, together with a literature review, suggest the RANBP2-ALK fusion combined with monosomy 7 may be related to a unique clonal hematologic disorder of childhood and adolescence, characterized by myelomonocytic leukemia and a poor prognosis.