[Analysis and clinical significance of ETV6 rearrangement in myelodysplastic syndromes patients].

Objective: To identify the ETV6 gene rearrangement in patients with myelodysplastic syndromes (MDS) and explore its relationship with prognosis and disease stages.

Methods: ETV6 rearrangement in 58 MDS cases were detected by conventional cytogenetics and Split-signal FISH. RT-PCR was used to detect 9p24-12p13 balance translocation with special designed primers ETV6F1/F2 and JAK2R1/R2. The relationship between ETV6 rearrangement and prognosis and disease staging in MDS patients was analyzed.

Results: ETV6 rearrangement were found in 4 (6.9%) of 58 cases, among which ETV6/JAK2 fusion was identified by RT-PCR in 1 (1.7%) case. The mean follow-up duration was 12 months. All 4 patients (100%) with rearrangement transformed into acute leukemia, with a median survival time (MS) of 7 months; while 10 patients (17%) in the non-translocation group transformed to acute leukemia, with a MS of 28 months. In addition, all 4 patients (100%) with rearrangement were in advanced stage of MDS( RAEB), while 17 cases (31.5%) in non-rearrangement group were in that stage.

Conclusions: ETV6 rearrangement has higher expression rate (6.9%), and is closely associated with disease stage and prognosis in MDS.