Comparison of MLL Fusion Genes Expression among the Cytogenetics Abnormalities of Acute Myeloid Leukemia and Their Clinical Effects

Mixed-lineage leukemia (MLL) is a subtype of acute myeloid leukemia with more aggressive prognosis than other subtypes. Translocations of MLL gene with other partner genes, forming the MLL-fusion proteins (MLL-FPs), are the main characteristics of MLL leukemia. Many studies have demonstrated that MLL-FPs such as: MLL-AF4, MLL-AF6, MLL-AF9, MLL-AF10, MLL-ENL, MLL-ELL, MLL-EPS15, as well as partial tandem duplication are the most common abnormalities that play significant role in MLL-rearranged leukemia. Gene expression profiles from 197 patients and 180 clinical data were downloaded from TCGA database. R statistical program has classified clinical and genomic data simultaneously according to cytogenetic abnormalities. As a result of this analysis, the most frequent 47 MLLFPs genes expression have been detected and compared with other cytogenetic abnormalities such as t(4;11), t(9;11), t(8;21), t(15;17), complex, inversion 16, trisomy 8 and cytogenetically normal AML. 35 out of 46 MLL-FPs genes presented with abnormal gene expression profile. This study showed that MLL-FPs are not just active and related with MLL, but also with other subtypes of AML.