Novel gene targets detected by genomic profiling in a consecutive series of 126 adults with acute lymphoblastic leukemia.

In contrast to acute lymphoblastic leukemia in children, adult cases of this disease are associated with a very poor prognosis. In order to ascertain whether the frequencies and patterns of submicroscopic changes, identifiable with single nucleotide polymorphism array analysis, differ between childhood and adult acute lymphoblastic leukemia, we performed single nucleotide polymorphism array analyses of 126 adult cases, the largest series to date, including 18 paired diagnostic and relapse samples. Apart from identifying characteristic microdeletions of the CDKN2A, EBF1, ETV6, IKZF1, PAX5 and RB1 genes, the present study uncovered novel, focal deletions of the BCAT1, BTLA, NR3C1, PIK3AP1 and SERP2 genes in 2-6% of the adult cases.