Immature Immunoglobulin Gene Rearrangements Are Recurrent in B Precursor Adult Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia Carrying <i>TP53</i> Molecular Alterations

Abstract

Here, we describe the immunoglobulin and T cell receptor (Ig/TCR) molecular rearrangements identified as a leukemic clone hallmark for minimal residual disease assessment in relation to TP53 mutational status in 171 Ph-negative Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia (ALL) adult patients at diagnosis. The presence of a TP53 alterations, which represents a marker of poor prognosis, was strictly correlated with an immature DH/JH rearrangement of the immunoglobulin receptor (p TP53-mutated patients were classified as pro-B ALL more frequently than their wild-type counterpart (46% vs. 25%, p = 0.05). Although the reasons for the co-presence of immature Ig rearrangements and TP53 mutation need to be clarified, this can suggest that the alteration in TP53 is acquired at an early stage of B-cell maturation or even at the level of pre-leukemic transformation.

Keywords

• acute lymphoblastic leukemia
• <i>TP53</i>
• immunoglobulin rearrangements