New markers for minimal residual disease detection in acute lymphoblastic leukemia

To identify new markers for minimal residual disease (MRD) detection in acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL), we compared genome-wide gene expression of lymphoblasts from 270 patients with newly diagnosed childhood ALL to that of normal CD19 CD10 B-cell progenitors (n=4). Expression of 30 genes differentially expressed by > 3-fold in at least 25% of cases of ALL (or 40% of ALL subtypes) was tested by flow cytometry in 200 B-lineage ALL and 61 nonleukemic BM samples, including samples containing hematogones. Of the 30 markers, 22 (CD44, BCL2, HSPB1, CD73, CD24, CD123, CD72, CD86, CD200, CD79b, CD164, CD304, CD97, CD102, CD99, CD300a, CD130, PBX1, CTNNA1, ITGB7, CD69, CD49f) were differentially expressed in up to 81.4% of ALL cases; expression of some markers was associated with the presence of genetic abnormalities. Results of MRD detection by flow cytometry with these markers correlated well with those of molecular testing (52 follow-up samples from 18 patients); sequential studies during treatment and diagnosis-relapse comparisons documented their stability. When incorporated in 6-marker combinations, the new markers afforded the detection of 1 leukemic cell among 105 BM cells. These new markers should allow MRD studies in all B-lineage ALL patients, and substantially improve their sensitivity. Study involved the gene expression profiling of human acute lymphoblastic leukemia samples. We first screened for genes expressed at different levels in ALL cells and their normal counterparts by comparing genome-wide gene expression profiles of 270 cases of newly diagnosed B-lineage ALL to those of highly purified normal CD19 CD10 cells. Genes that had a substantially abnormal expression in leukemic cells were then tested by flow cytometry to assess levels of protein expression. The most promising molecules were examined in detail for their usefulness as MRD markers.