陈俊如 王艺霖 王玲珍 姜健 孙妍 卢愿
[摘要] 目的 探討复发性急性早幼粒细胞白血病(acute promyelocytic leukemia,APL)的分子生物学改变,为复发性APL的临床诊断和治疗提供指导。方法 回顾性分析1例停药8个月后分子生物学复发的APL患儿的临床资料,并复习相关文献资料。结果 患儿,男,1岁,以发热、皮肤出现出血点起病,查体示贫血貌,全身皮肤、黏膜散布出血点、瘀斑,左侧颈部可扪及数个肿大淋巴结,有融合,肝肋下2 cm,血常规示血红蛋白及血小板计数低,骨髓涂片示早幼粒细胞比例占75%,POX(+),骨髓PML/RARα融合基因聚合酶链式反应及荧光原位杂交检测均阳性,NRAS基因突变,初始符合APL的诊断标准。经规范治疗后,患儿骨髓涂片及微小残留完全缓解,PML/RARα融合基因转阴。停药8个月后复查患儿PML/RARα L型4.51%,考虑分子生物学复发,给予复发方案化疗,患儿PML/RARα转阴,继续规律化疗,同时行自体干细胞采集,定期复查。结论 对于复发APL,一旦明确分子生物学复发后应尽快选择复发方案治疗,同时应注意定期检测PML/RARα融合基因,无法达到第二次分子生物学缓解时应考虑造血干细胞移植治疗。
[关键词] 白血病,早幼粒细胞,急性;癌基因蛋白质类,融合;复发;基因融合;分子生物学
[中图分类号] R733.71 [文献标志码] A
[ABSTRACT] Objective To investigate the molecular biological changes of relapsed acute promyelocytic leukemia (APL), and to provide guidance for the clinical diagnosis and treatment of relapsed APL. Methods A retrospective analysis was performed on the clinical data of a pediatric patient with relapsed APL who was molecular relapse 8 months after drug withdrawal, and related literature was reviewed. Results The patient was a 1-year-old boy who initially presented with fever and hemorrhagic spots on the skin, and physical examination showed the appearance of anemia. The skin and mucosa of his whole body were covered with hemorrhagic spots and ecchymosis. Several enlarged lymph nodes that had fused together could be palpated on the left side of the neck, and the liver was palpable at 2 cm below the costal margin. The routine blood test showed low hemoglobin and platelet counts. The bone marrow smear showed that the proportion of promyelocytes was 75%, and POX was positive. The polymerase chain reaction and fluorescence in situ hybridization assay showed positive results for the PML/RARα fusion gene in the bone marrow smear. NRAS gene mutation was detected, and the initial diagnosis was APL. Following standard therapy, the patients bone marrow smear and minimal residual disease showed complete remission, and the PML/RARα fusion gene was no longer detectable. However, 8 months after drug withdrawal, the reexamination revealed that the L-type PML/RARα in the bone marrow of the child accounted for 4.51%. Therefore, the child was diagnosed with molecular relapse of APL and was given a chemotherapy regimen against relapsed APL. As a result, the PML/RARα of the child turned negative. Afterwards, the regular chemotherapy was continued. Meanwhile, autologous stem cell collection and regular reexamination were performed. Conclusion For relapsed APL, once molecular relapse is confirmed, treatment should be started as soon as possible, and regular detection of the PML/RARα fusion gene should be performed. Moreover, hematopoietic stem cell transplantation should be considered if second molecular remission cannot be achieved.
[KEY WORDS] Leukemia, promyelocytic, acute; Oncogene proteins,fusion; Recurrence; Gene fusion; Molecular biology
急性早幼粒細胞白血病(acute promyelocytic leukemia,APL)是一种独特的髓系白血病,该病特征是染色体t(15;17)(q22;q21)易位形成PML/RARα。经全反式维甲酸(ATRA)及三氧化二砷(ATO)治疗,APL患者存活率可超过90%,但仍存在一定复发风险。本文报道1例APL患儿停药8个月后分子生物学复发的诊治经过,旨在为复发性APL患儿的诊断和治疗提供指导。
1 临床资料
患儿,男,1岁,2020年6月因“发热2 d,皮肤出现出血点1 d”入院。查体显示贫血貌,全身皮肤、黏膜有出血点、瘀斑,左侧颈部有数个肿大淋巴结,有融合,肝肋下2 cm。血常规显示WBC计数4.48×109/L,RBC计数2.2×1012/L,血小板(PLT)计数13×109/L,血红蛋白(HB)70 g/L。骨髓常规检查示骨髓增生明显活跃,粒系比例约80.0%,其中粗颗粒增多的早幼粒细胞比例75.0%,该类细胞POX(+),红系比例9.5%,淋巴细胞比例10.5%,全片未见巨核细胞。外周血涂片示早幼粒细胞比例10%,诊断为APL。细胞遗传学及分子生物学检查显示PML/RARα基因呈阳性,NRAS突变率为7.2%。染色体核型检测示47,XY,der(15),+mar[12]/46,XY[3]。纳入APL低危组,按照儿童APL诊疗规范2018年版方案(CCLG-APL2018)予以ATRA+ATO规律化疗。化疗第28天后骨髓细胞学完全缓解,PML/RARα融合基因定量检测为12.22%;第35天后患儿骨髓细胞学及PML/RARα基因检查显示完全缓解;随后按上述方案继续规范化治疗,多次复查骨髓细胞学以及PML/RARα融合基因均正常,故而于2021年4月停药。停药8个月后复查骨髓细胞学示完全缓解,而PML/RARα融合基因阳性,2周以后PML/RARα融合基因定量检测为4.51%,但NRAS基因突变阴性,微小残留(MRD)阴性。考虑患儿分子生物学早期复发,立即启动儿童复发性APL治疗方案(2018北京方案),行阿糖胞苷+伊达比星+ATRA(ID+HD-ARa-C)化疗,化疗第35天后患儿PML/RARα融合基因转阴,按方案继续规律化疗,于2022年11月停药,目前患儿仍旧定期复查MRD及PML/RARα融合基因。
2 讨 论
APL是一种罕见的髓系白血病,往往起病凶险,易并发弥散性血管内凝血(DIC),早期病死率高,自ATO应用于临床后,APL已成为可治愈的白血病之一。目前我国指南推荐的APL治疗方案是ATRA、ATO和(或)联合化疗,大部分患者可长期生存,但10%~25%的患者存在完全缓解后复发。APL的特征是t(15;17)(q22;q21)易位,形成PML/RARα融合基因。PML/RARα融合基因是APL特征性的分子生物学标记物,其能够干扰造血干细胞正常的自我更新以及骨髓分化[1]。在经典的APL发病模型中,PML和RARα蛋白融合阻碍了视黄酸反应元件的转录,产生显性负突变,阻断早幼粒细胞分化,同时还可使异常的白细胞不断增殖[2]。PML/RARα融合蛋白还会破坏核体的形成。在缺乏视黄酸时,PML/RARα融合蛋白会招募共阻遏物沉默与分化相关的基因转录,并且防止白细胞凋亡[3]。APL除了具有特征性PML/RARα融合基因外,还可以检测到其他的突变基因,例如FLT3、WT1、NRAS以及KRAS基因等[4]。
复发性APL可分为血液学复发、分子生物学复发和髓外复发。目前关于APL复发原因尚未明确。按照2022中国儿童APL诊疗指南,将APL患者按治疗前的WBC计数分为非高危组、高危组[5]。经过治疗以后的高危组APL患者复发概率为10%~15%,明显高于非高危组患者[6]。对于非高危组的APL患者,经过ATO+ATRA诱导治疗以后,当PML/RARα转录水平≥6.5%时,提示有复发的风险[7]。研究显示APL预后不良的因素有CD56过度表达、存在PML/RARα BCR3亚型以及FLT3-ITD基因突变等[4]。然而近期研究仍然存在争议,研究结果显示,FLT3-ITD突变可提示APL预后不良[8]。同时也有研究表明,接受ATRA+ATO+蒽环类药物化疗后FLT3-ITD突变患者与FLT3-ITD阴性患者的预后无显著差异[9]。实时定量聚合酶链反应(qRT-PCR)是目前进行APL分子检测的标准方法,相较于逆转录PCR,qRT-PCR更敏感,能更好识别“假阴性”样本。有研究表明,相比较于血液标本,在骨髓当中可以更早地监测到分子复发[10]。这表明骨髓定期检测是APL检测采样的首选方案。我国最新指南指出,巩固治疗后必须行骨髓MRD检测,结果提示阴性后,后续检测可用骨髓或外周血,每3~6个月检测一次,至少至维持治疗结束后24个月[5]。
本患儿在停药8个月(距离初诊<18个月)后复查骨髓PML/RARα基因阳性,并送检2家不同第三方实验室行qRT-PCR检查均提示阳性,骨髓MRD阴性,确诊为APL分子生物学早期复发。目前,针对复发性APL的治疗,欧洲指南[4]指出,一旦怀疑为APL,应立即开始ATRA化疗,以避免血液学复发;无论是分子生物学复发还是血液学复发,在选择治疗方案时,均应优先考虑先前使用的一线化疗方案;在ATRA化疗后复发的患者应该采用基于ATRA+ATO联合的治疗方案;而在ATRA+ATO治疗后复发的患者,则应选择ATRA联合蒽环类药物进行化疗;对于采用ATRA联合常规化疗方案的巩固治疗阶段,应给予2~3个疗程的蒽环类药物化疗,直至MRD转阴。ABLA等[11]也指出,对于既往未应用过ATO治疗的复发性APL患者、早期复发的APL患儿,推荐应用自体干细胞移植(Auto-HSCT)进行巩固治疗;晚期复发、极晚期复发的患儿,应当首选ATRA或ATO联合化疗进行再诱导,然后采用ATO进行巩固治疗。本例患儿在初始治疗时采用ATRA+ATO化疗方案,此次早期复发后立即采用ID+HD-ARa-C方案治疗。
无论采用哪种化疗方案,最终目的皆是达到分子生物学阴性与MRD阴性,为下一步HSCT做准备。对于可以达到第二次完全缓解(CR2)的患者,建议行Auto-HSCT治疗,而对于无法达到CR2的患者,则推荐行异基因移植(Allo-HSCT)治疗,对于无法进行HSCT的患者,则建议可以多次循环进行ATO和(或)ATRA和(或)化疗药物治疗。研究表明,诊断为复发/难治性APL的患儿,Auto-HSCT与Allo-HSCT治疗在5年无事件生存率(EFS)、总生存率(OS)方面比较无显著差异,但目前临床上,复发APL患儿CR2后的首选治疗方案仍是Auto-HSCT[12]。本例患儿复发后对化疗方案较敏感,在PML/RARα转阴、MRD完全缓解后曾行自体干细胞采集,但患儿家属在考虑患儿病情及家庭经济情况后,决定暂不行Auto-HSCT治疗,继续ID+HD-ARa-C方案化疗并动态监测PML/RARα融合基因,目前患儿已停药,后续每3~6个月定期复查。对于复发性APL的患者,在分子生物学复发即开始ATRA和(或)ATO治疗,其预后要明显好于血液学复发后再开始的治疗[4],血液学复发的患者发生出血性死亡和APL分化综合征的风险更高[11]。有研究表明,复发性APL患者预后与复发时间有一定关联,与晚期复发和极晚期复发患者相比,早期复发患者EFS和OS更高[13]。
对于复发APL,定期行PML/RARα基因监测十分必要,一旦早期发现分子生物复发后应尽快选择复发方案治疗,避免血液学复发。目前公认的复发治疗药物依然是ATRA和(或)ATO,对于一线治疗已使用过ATRA+ATO联合治疗后再次复发的患者,应选择ATRA+蒽环类化疗药物,无法达到CR2时应考虑HSCT,以改善患者预后。
作者声明:陈俊如、王艺霖、卢愿参与了研究设计;陈俊如、王玲珍、姜健、孙妍参与了论文的写作和修改。所有作者均阅读并同意发表该论文。所有作者均声明不存在利益冲突。
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(本文编辑 耿波 厉建强)