Leukemia
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Comparative Study
Clonality studies and N-ras and p53 mutation analysis of hematopoietic cells in Fanconi anemia.
Patients with Fanconi anemia (FA) have an extraordinary predisposition to acute myelogenous leukemia (AML). The genetic mechanisms underlying the neoplastic transformation of FA hematopoietic cells are unknown. In this study, we have investigated the molecular features of hematopoiesis in the course of FA at different stages of the disease, including aplastic anemia, myelodysplastic syndrome (MDS), and AML. ⋯ Only normal N-ras and p53 sequences were detected in all cases analyzed. These results suggest that monoclonal hematopoiesis is a frequent finding in the course of FA and may precede the onset of neoplasia in some cases. The genetic mechanisms underlying FA-associated leukemogenesis appear to be independent of N-ras and p53 mutations, which are relatively frequent events in myeloid tumors associated with other hematologic disorders.