Serum 2-Hydroxyglutarate Levels Predict Isocitrate Dehydrogenase Mutations and Clinical Outcome in Acute Myeloid Leukemia.

Cancer-associated IDH mutations produce the metabolite 2-hydroxyglutarate (2HG), but the clinical utility of serum 2HG measurements has not been previously established. We studied whether 2HG measurements in AML patients correlate with the presence of IDH mutations and whether diagnostic or remission 2HG measurements predict survival.

Serum samples from 223 previously untreated adults (≤ 60 years of age) with de novo AML from the Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group E1900 clinical trial (62 IDH mutated, 161 IDH wild-type) were analyzed for 2HG concentration by reverse-phase liquid chromatography coupled to mass spectrometry (GC-MS).

Pretreatment 2HG levels ranged from 10 to 30000 ng/ml and were significantly elevated in IDH-mutant samples (median 3004.1 ng/ml), as compared to the wild-type cohort (median 61.2 ng/ml) (p < 0.0005). 2HG levels did not differ among the specific IDH1 or IDH2 allelic variants. In ROC analysis, a discriminatory level of 700 ng/ml segregated patients with and without IDH mutations with 86.9% sensitivity and 90.7% specificity. On repeat mutational analysis of 13 IDH wild-type samples with 2HG levels >700 ng/ml, IDH mutations were identified in nine samples, most often at low allele burden. IDH mutant patients with 2HG levels ≤ 200 ng/ml at complete remission experienced improved overall survival compared to those with higher 2HG levels (HR 3.5, p = 0.02) (Figure 1).

We establish a firm association between IDH mutations and elevated serum 2HG concentration in AML. These data confirm that peripheral blood measurement of an oncometabolite provides useful diagnostic and prognostic information for cancer therapy, and furthermore can inform patient selection of IDH mutant targeted therapies.

Figure 1:

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Overall survival of AML patients in CR based on serum 2HG measurement at time of CR.

Figure 1:

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Overall survival of AML patients in CR based on serum 2HG measurement at time of CR.

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Levine:Agios Pharmaceuticals: Research Funding. Straley:Agios Pharmaceuticals: Employment. Yen:Agios Pharmaceuticals: Employment. Agresta:Agios Pharmaceuticals: Employment. Carroll:Agios Pharmaceuticals: Research Funding.