The correlation of next-generation sequencing-based genotypic profiles with clinicopathologic characteristics in...

The purpose of this study was to analyze the association between next-generation sequencing (NGS) genotypic profiles and conventional clinicopathologic characteristics in patients with acute myeloid leukemia (AML) with NPM1 mutation (NPM1^mut). We selected 238 NPM1^mut patients with available NGS information on 112 genes related to blood diseases using the χ2 and Mann-Whitney U tests and a multivariable logistic model to analyze the correlation between genomic alterations and clinicopathologic parameters. Compared with the NPM1^mut/FLT3-ITD^(-) group, the NPM1^mut/FLT3-ITD⁽⁺⁾ group presented borderline frequent M5 morphology [78/143 (54.5%) vs. 64/95 (67.4%); P = 0.048], higher CD34- and CD7-positive rates (CD34: 20.6% vs. 47.9%, P < 0.001; CD7: 29.9% vs. 61.5%, P < 0.001) and a lack of favorable-/adverse-risk karyotypes (6.4% vs. 0%; P = 0.031). In the entire NPM1^mut cohort, 240 NPM1 mutants were identified, of which 10 (10/240, 4.2%) were missense types. When confining the analysis to the 205 cases with NPM1^mut insertions/deletions-type and normal karyotype, multivariable logistic analysis showed that FLT3-ITD was positively correlated with CD34 and CD7 expressions (OR = 5.29 [95% CI 2.64-10.60], P < 0.001; OR = 3.47 [95% CI 1.79-6.73], P < 0.001, respectively). Ras-pathway mutations were positively correlated with HLA-DR expression (OR = 4.05 [95% CI 1.70-9.63], P = 0.002), and KRAS mutations were negatively correlated with MPO expression (OR = 0.18 [95% CI 0.05-0.62], P = 0.007). DNMT3A-R882 was positively correlated with CD7 and HLA-DR expressions (OR = 3.59 [95% CI 1.80-7.16], P < 0.001; OR = 13.41 [95% CI 4.56-39.45], P < 0.001, respectively). DNMT3A mutation was negatively correlated with MPO expression (OR = 0.35 [95% CI 1.48-8.38], P = 0.004). TET2/IDH1 mutations were negatively correlated with CD34 and CD7 expressions (OR = 0.26 [95% CI 0.11-0.62], P = 0.002; OR = 0.30 [95% CI 0.14-0.62], P = 0.001, respectively) and positively correlated with MPO expression (OR = 3.52 [95% CI 1.48-8.38], P = 0.004). In conclusion, NPM1^mut coexisting mutations in signaling pathways (FLT3-ITD and Ras-signaling pathways) and methylation modifiers (DNMT3A and TET2/IDH1) are linked with the expressions of CD34, CD7, HLA-DR and MPO, thereby providing a mechanistic explanation for the immunophenotypic heterogeneity of this AML entity.