Mutations in the breakpoint cluster region-Abelson murine leukemia 1 gene in Brazilian patients with chronic myeloid leukemia.

INTRODUCTION

Mutations in the gene are the leading cause of resistance to treatment with tyrosine kinase inhibitors in chronic myeloid leukemia patients. Mutations have been detected throughout the extension of the kinase domain of this gene and it is important to investigate their positions because there may be a difference in clinical relevance.

OBJECTIVE

To evaluate mutations in the transcripts of the gene in Brazilian patients with chronic myeloid leukemia under tyrosine kinase inhibitor treatment in the Hospital de Clínicas of the Universidade Federal do Paraná.

METHODS

This retrospective observational cross-sectional study analyzed mutation data of gene transcripts. Three hundred and thirty peripheral blood samples from 193 patients were evaluated with the search for mutations being achieved by Sanger sequencing.

RESULTS

Sixteen mutation types were identified in 48/193 (24.87%) patients with T315I (20.83%) being the most common. Furthermore, four polymorphisms (T240T, K247R, E275E and Y275Y) were identified. The highest incidence of mutations (19/53: 35.85%) occurred in the P-loop of the tyrosine kinase domain, whereas no mutation was found in the A-loop. In 43/48 (89.58%) patients only one mutation was found and more than one mutation was found in 5/48 (10.42%). The simultaneous presence of two mutations (E189G/V299L and E255K/T315I) was observed in 2/5 patients while the different mutations were seen in sequential samples of the other three patients (Y253Y/T315I, T315I/E255K and E255K/T315I).

CONCLUSIONS

This molecular characterization contributed to the identification of the resistance profile to tyrosine kinase inhibitors in Brazilian patients, thus enabling the use of adequate therapeutic strategies in a timely manner.