Significance of Bone Marrow Karyotype and Morphology in Patients with Inherited Bone Marrow Failure Syndromes,

Abstract 3431

Recurring clonal cytogenetic abnormalities have been described in patients with Fanconi anemia (FA) and Shwachman-Diamond syndrome (SDS). In FA, gains of 3q and monosomy 7 (−7) imply progression to myelodysplastic syndrome (MDS) and acute myelogenous leukemia (AML). In SDS, isochromosome 7q and deletion (del) 20q are usually benign. Dyskeratosis congenita (DC) and Diamond-Blackfan anemia (DBA) do not have unique clones. We report here the types and frequencies of cytogenetic clones and their association with morphologic MDS or AML in the major inherited bone marrow failure syndromes (IBMFS), in a prospective/ retrospective study of patients with FA, SDS, DC and DBA enrolled in the NCI IBMFS cohort from 2002–2010. Bone marrow (BM) morphology and cytogenetics (G-banding; selected FISH, CGH, SKY) performed at our institute and all outside cytogenetics reports were centrally reviewed. Cytogenetic abnormalities were defined and karyotypes designated according to ISCN (2009). Two independent blinded hematopathologists reviewed BM morphology. Diagnosis of morphologic MDS was based on a modification of WHO 2008 and required ≥10% dysplasia in 2 cell lineages. Data analysis was both cross-sectional and longitudinal. P values are global comparing all 4 disorders using Fisher's exact test.

More FA and SDS patients had clones and/or MDS compared with DC or DBA (Table). MDS was always associated with clones in FA but not in the other IBMFS.

In FA, bone marrow transplant (BMT) or death occurred with similar frequencies in those with or without clones. Among 17 patients with clones, follow-up cytogenetics were unavailable in 5; of these, 2 with clone alone [one with del 7q and 18p and one with t(3;6)(q?25;p?21)] progressed to AML, while one with clone and MDS died from other causes. Recurring abnormalities in 12 FA patients with clones followed for up to 16 years, included gains of 1q in 4, −7 or del 7q in 3, and deletions of 6p, 13q, 18p and 20q in 2 patients each; only one had gain of 3q. These patients showed fluctuation or disappearance of clones, new appearance of clones, stable clone, or clonal evolution. Progression to MDS occurred with gain of 1q and 6p deletion, gain of 3q, or −7 in 3 patients, respectively; one patient with MDS had clonal persistence. No disease progression was seen in 5 FA patients with clone alone.

All 5 SDS patients with clones and/or MDS are alive with no disease progression. The 4 with a clone had stable persistent del 20q as a sole abnormality; 2 had MDS and 2 did not. One had MDS with a normal karyotype.

Four DC patients had abnormal clones including 2 with gain of 1q only. One patient with 1q gain died from pulmonary fibrosis. Three others are alive; 2 with stable clones at 7 and 19 years' follow-up, respectively. One additional DC patient has morphologic MDS but no clone.

All 3 DBA patients with clones had del 16q, 2 alone and 1 with del 9p; none had MDS. The clones were transient in 2, disappearing within 1–2 years; the third was recently identified. None of these had disease progression. One patient with morphologic MDS alone died from complications of iron overload.

This study shows that clonal chromosome abnormalities occur more frequently in FA and SDS than in DC and DBA. Gain of 3q in FA was not as common here as reported by others. This is the first comprehensive study of clones and MDS in DC and DBA. Strengths of this study include the large number of patients, and central review of cytogenetics and morphology. It is unbiased compared with FA literature reports that include many patients referred for BMT. Limitations include a relatively small number of patients with each diagnosis and short follow-up in most. The study demonstrates that clones may fluctuate or disappear, and may not per se portend a bad prognosis. Progression to clinically significant MDS or AML may be related to the severity of cytopenias and not to clone alone, and warrants more extensive long-term studies.