Table 1.

Gene mutations predominantly occurring in cytogenetically normal acute myeloid leukemia (AML).

GeneBiological/clinical featuresSelected references
Abbreviations: BM, bone marrow; LDH, lactate dehydrogenase; CN, cytogenetically normal; ITD, internal tandem duplication; TKD, tyrosine kinase domain; MRD, matched related donor; CR, complete remission; JM, juxtamembrane domain; UPD, uniparenteral disomy; OS, overall survival; RFS, relapse-free survival; EFS, event-free survival; PTD, partial tandem duplication. 
NPM1 Protein with pleiotropic functions 18  
 Associated with presenting clinical and laboratory features such as female sex, higher BM blast counts and LDH levels, as well as high CD33 but low or absent CD34 levels 6,10–15  
 Found in 25% to 35% of AML; predominantly in CN-AML (45% to 62%)
 Associated with FLT3-ITD and TKD mutations 6,11,13,15  
 NPM1mut/FLT3-ITDneg genotype associated with a favorable prognosis 10–12,15  
 Patients with NPM1mut/FLT3-ITDneg genotype may not benefit from MRD allogeneic transplantation in first CR 10,37  
FLT3 Member of the class III receptor tyrosine kinase family
 Constitutively active FLT3 molecules are targets for molecular therapy 26  
ITD Found in 28% to 34% of CN-AML
 In-frame mutations, mostly in exons 14 and 15 of the JM domain 3,6  
 Consistently associated with inferior outcome 22–25  
 Level of mutant allele likely of importance 23,25  
 Homozygous FLT3 mutations as a result of mitotic recombination leading to partial UPD 28,49  
TKD TKD point mutations found in 11% to 14% of CN-AML 24,25,30  
 More recently associated with better OS 30  
 Level of mutant allele may be of importance: high-level mutants associated with improved OS 30  
CEBPA Transcription factor mediating lineage specification and differentiation of multipotent myeloid progenitors into mature neutrophils 31  
 Found predominantly in CN-AML and AML with 9q deletion 3,6  
 Associated with higher CR rate and better RFS and OS 3,6  
MLL PTD found in 5% to 11% of CN-AML
 Associated with shorter CR duration, or inferior RFS and EFS 6  
 Autologous transplantation may improve outcome 32  
 Rationale for the use of DNA methyltransferase and/or histone deacetylase inhibitors based on in vitro data 33  
RAS NRAS mutations found in ~9% of CN-AML
 No prognostic significance 6  
WT1 Mutations found in ~10% of CN-AML
 Initial studies on small patient cohorts suggest association with induction failure 7,34  
GeneBiological/clinical featuresSelected references
Abbreviations: BM, bone marrow; LDH, lactate dehydrogenase; CN, cytogenetically normal; ITD, internal tandem duplication; TKD, tyrosine kinase domain; MRD, matched related donor; CR, complete remission; JM, juxtamembrane domain; UPD, uniparenteral disomy; OS, overall survival; RFS, relapse-free survival; EFS, event-free survival; PTD, partial tandem duplication. 
NPM1 Protein with pleiotropic functions 18  
 Associated with presenting clinical and laboratory features such as female sex, higher BM blast counts and LDH levels, as well as high CD33 but low or absent CD34 levels 6,10–15  
 Found in 25% to 35% of AML; predominantly in CN-AML (45% to 62%)
 Associated with FLT3-ITD and TKD mutations 6,11,13,15  
 NPM1mut/FLT3-ITDneg genotype associated with a favorable prognosis 10–12,15  
 Patients with NPM1mut/FLT3-ITDneg genotype may not benefit from MRD allogeneic transplantation in first CR 10,37  
FLT3 Member of the class III receptor tyrosine kinase family
 Constitutively active FLT3 molecules are targets for molecular therapy 26  
ITD Found in 28% to 34% of CN-AML
 In-frame mutations, mostly in exons 14 and 15 of the JM domain 3,6  
 Consistently associated with inferior outcome 22–25  
 Level of mutant allele likely of importance 23,25  
 Homozygous FLT3 mutations as a result of mitotic recombination leading to partial UPD 28,49  
TKD TKD point mutations found in 11% to 14% of CN-AML 24,25,30  
 More recently associated with better OS 30  
 Level of mutant allele may be of importance: high-level mutants associated with improved OS 30  
CEBPA Transcription factor mediating lineage specification and differentiation of multipotent myeloid progenitors into mature neutrophils 31  
 Found predominantly in CN-AML and AML with 9q deletion 3,6  
 Associated with higher CR rate and better RFS and OS 3,6  
MLL PTD found in 5% to 11% of CN-AML
 Associated with shorter CR duration, or inferior RFS and EFS 6  
 Autologous transplantation may improve outcome 32  
 Rationale for the use of DNA methyltransferase and/or histone deacetylase inhibitors based on in vitro data 33  
RAS NRAS mutations found in ~9% of CN-AML
 No prognostic significance 6  
WT1 Mutations found in ~10% of CN-AML
 Initial studies on small patient cohorts suggest association with induction failure 7,34  

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