CXCR4 Expression, CXCR4 Activation, and Wild Type NPM1 Are Independently Associated with Unfavorable Prognosis in Patients with Acute Myeloid Leukemia

BACKGROUND— CXC chemokine receptor 4 (CXCR4) is activated by phosphorylation and is essential for migration of hematopoietic precursors to bone marrow. CXCR4 overexpression predicts unfavorable prognosis in patients with acute myeloid leukemia (AML). Nucleophosmin (NPM1) mutation is the most frequent genetic abnormality in AML patients and predicts a favorable prognosis. In vitro studies have suggested that mutant NPM decreases CXCR4-mediated chemotaxis by downregulating CXCR4, thereby linking the NPM and CXCR4 pathways. PATIENTS AND METHODS— In a group of 117 untreated adults with AML we used immunohistochemistry to assess bone marrow specimens for CXCR4 and phosphorylated (p) CXCR4 (pCXCR4) expression. All cases were also analyzed for NPM1 mutations using PCR-based methods. RESULTS— CXCR4 expression was detected in 75 (64%) and pCXCR4 expression was detected in 31 (26%) patients. NPM1 mutations were detected in 63 (54%) patients. NPM1 mutations did not correlate with CXCR4 (p = 0.212) or pCXCR4 (p = 0.355) expression. The median 5-year complete remission, thrombocytopenia, unfavorable cytogenetics, CXCR4 expression, and wild type NPM1. pCXCR4 expression was independently associated with shorter progression-free survival. CONCLUSION— There is no correlation between NPM1 mutations and CXCR4 or phosphorylated CXCR4 expression suggesting that the CXCR4 and NPM pathways act independently in adult AML.

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