Heterogeneity analysis of the CEBPAdm AML based on bZIP region mutations

Abstract

Patients with double-mutated CEBPA (CEBPAdm) AML were stratified into favorable risk group, however, few studies have investigated the heterogeneity of different CEBPAdm types in detail. In this study, we analyzed 2211 newly diagnosed AML and identified CEBPAdm in 10.8% of the patients. Within the CEBPAdm cohort, 225 of 239 patients (94.14%) presented with bZIP region mutations (CEBPAdmbZIP) while 14 of 239 patients (5.86%) without bZIP region mutation (CEBPAdmnonbZIP). Analysis of the accompanied molecular mutations showed statistically different incidences of GATA2 mutations between the CEBPAdmbZIP group and the CEBPAdmnonbZIP group (30.29% vs 0%). In the analysis of outcomes, patients with CEBPAdmnonbZIP were associated with shorter overall survival (OS) censored at hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT) during CR1 compared to those with CEBPAdmbZIP (hazard ratio (HR) = 3.132, 95% confidence interval (CI) = 1.229–7.979, P = .017). Refractory or relapsed AML (R/RAML) patients with CEBPAdmnonbZIP were associated with shorter OS compared to those with CEBPAdmbZIP (HR = 2.881, 95% CI = 1.021–8.131, P = .046). Taken together, AML with CEBPAdmbZIP and CEBPAdmnonbZIP showed different outcomes and might be regarded as distinctive AML entities.