Analysis of the clinical relevance of the breakpoint location within M-BCR and the type of chimeric mRNA in chronic myelogenous leukemia.

It has been suggested that the breakpoint location within the M-BCR segment of chromosome 22 and the type of chimeric mRNA BCR/ABL (b2a2 or b3a2) are associated with differences in the clinical and hematological characteristics of chronic myelogenous leukemia (CML). To assist in clarifying this matter, in a series of Ph-positive CML patients the relationship of both the breakpoint location within M-BCR (n = 71) and the type of chimeric mRNA BCR/ABL (n = 40) with the chronic phase duration, patients' survival, and thrombopoietic activity was analyzed. Median survival for patients with breakpoints in zones 1+2+3 (n = 38) and zones 4+5 (n = 31) was 62 and 75 months, respectively, the difference being not significant; patients with breaks in zones 1+2 (n = 19) and zones 3+4+5 (n = 50) had a median survival of 50 and 67 months, respectively (P also not significant). Moreover, no significant differences were found in the survival of patients with b2a2 (n = 16) and b3a2 (n = 24) mRNA junctions. Finally, no differences were observed in the platelet or megakaryocyte counts between patients with breakpoints in extremes 5' and 3' nor between patients with b2a2 and b3a2 mRNA. The above results are in agreement with those reported in most recent studies, confirming the lack of clinical relevance of molecular pattern in CML.