Leukemic Stem Cell Score Predicts Myelodysplastic Syndrome Prognosis
By LabMedica International staff writers Posted on 03 Mar 2020 |

Image: Peripheral blood smear from a patient with myelodysplastic syndrome showing macrocytic and hyperchromic anemia (cross), hypersegmented neutrophil (arrow) and moderate thrombocytopenia (Photo courtesy of Jong-Hwa Kim, MD, PhD).
Myelodysplastic syndromes (MDS) are clonal myeloid malignancies arising from hematopoietic stem cells (HSCs), which are characterized by bone marrow (BM) ineffective hematopoiesis, peripheral blood cytopenias, and a propensity to transform to acute myeloid leukemia (AML).
Leukemic stem cells (LSCs) are responsible for chemoresistance and relapse in leukemia. Recently, expressions of 17 genes related to stemness of LSCs were found to be associated with prognosis in acute myeloid leukemia patients. The prognosis of patients varies even in the same risk groups.
Scientists at the National Taiwan University (Taipei, Taiwan) and their colleagues recruited 176 primary MDS patients diagnosed at the National Taiwan University Hospital (NTUH) from January 1992 to December 2010 who had cryopreserved bone marrow (BM) samples for microarray analysis as a training cohort. Another independent set of 30 patients diagnosed with the same criteria from January 2011 to May 2012 were recruited as an internal validation cohort.
The team profiled the global gene expression of BM mononuclear cells from the 206 patients by Affymetrix GeneChip Human Transcriptome Array 2.0 (Santa Clara, CA, USA). They analyzed expression profile of the 17 stemness-related genes in primary MDS patients and identified expression of four genes (LAPTM4B, NGFRAP1, EMP1, and CPXM1) that were significantly correlated with overall survival (OS). They constructed a leukemic stem cell-4 (LSC4) scoring system based on the weighted sums of the expression of four genes and explored its clinical implications in MDS patients.
The scientists reported that higher LSC4 scores were associated with higher revised International Prognostic Scoring System (IPSS-R) scores, complex cytogenetics, and mutations in RUNX1, ASXL1, and TP53. High-score patients had significantly shorter OS and leukemia-free survival (LFS), which was also confirmed in two independent validation cohorts. Subgroup analysis revealed the prognostic significance of LSC4 scores for OS remained valid across IPSS-R lower- and higher-risk groups. The higher LSC4 score was an independent adverse risk factor for OS and LFS in multivariate analysis.
The authors concluded that LSC4 score can independently predict prognosis in MDS patients irrespective of IPSS-R risks and may be used to guide the treatment of MDS patients, especially lower-risk group in whom usually only supportive treatment is given. This integrated prognostic system refines the prognostic prediction models and might guide the therapeutic decision and possible LSC-targeted therapy in the future. The study was published on February 20, 2020 in the journal Blood Advances.
Related Links:
National Taiwan University
Affymetrix
Leukemic stem cells (LSCs) are responsible for chemoresistance and relapse in leukemia. Recently, expressions of 17 genes related to stemness of LSCs were found to be associated with prognosis in acute myeloid leukemia patients. The prognosis of patients varies even in the same risk groups.
Scientists at the National Taiwan University (Taipei, Taiwan) and their colleagues recruited 176 primary MDS patients diagnosed at the National Taiwan University Hospital (NTUH) from January 1992 to December 2010 who had cryopreserved bone marrow (BM) samples for microarray analysis as a training cohort. Another independent set of 30 patients diagnosed with the same criteria from January 2011 to May 2012 were recruited as an internal validation cohort.
The team profiled the global gene expression of BM mononuclear cells from the 206 patients by Affymetrix GeneChip Human Transcriptome Array 2.0 (Santa Clara, CA, USA). They analyzed expression profile of the 17 stemness-related genes in primary MDS patients and identified expression of four genes (LAPTM4B, NGFRAP1, EMP1, and CPXM1) that were significantly correlated with overall survival (OS). They constructed a leukemic stem cell-4 (LSC4) scoring system based on the weighted sums of the expression of four genes and explored its clinical implications in MDS patients.
The scientists reported that higher LSC4 scores were associated with higher revised International Prognostic Scoring System (IPSS-R) scores, complex cytogenetics, and mutations in RUNX1, ASXL1, and TP53. High-score patients had significantly shorter OS and leukemia-free survival (LFS), which was also confirmed in two independent validation cohorts. Subgroup analysis revealed the prognostic significance of LSC4 scores for OS remained valid across IPSS-R lower- and higher-risk groups. The higher LSC4 score was an independent adverse risk factor for OS and LFS in multivariate analysis.
The authors concluded that LSC4 score can independently predict prognosis in MDS patients irrespective of IPSS-R risks and may be used to guide the treatment of MDS patients, especially lower-risk group in whom usually only supportive treatment is given. This integrated prognostic system refines the prognostic prediction models and might guide the therapeutic decision and possible LSC-targeted therapy in the future. The study was published on February 20, 2020 in the journal Blood Advances.
Related Links:
National Taiwan University
Affymetrix
Latest Hematology News
- New Scoring System Predicts Risk of Developing Cancer from Common Blood Disorder
- Non-Invasive Prenatal Test for Fetal RhD Status Demonstrates 100% Accuracy
- WBC Count Could Predict Severity of COVID-19 Symptoms
- New Platelet Counting Technology to Help Labs Prevent Diagnosis Errors
- Streamlined Approach to Testing for Heparin-Induced Thrombocytopenia Improves Diagnostic Accuracy
- POC Hemostasis System Could Help Prevent Maternal Deaths
- New Test Assesses Oxygen Delivering Ability of Red Blood Cells by Measuring Their Shape
- Personalized CBC Testing Could Help Diagnose Early-Stage Diseases in Healthy Individuals
- Non-Invasive Test Solution Determines Fetal RhD Status from Maternal Plasma
- First-Of-Its-Kind Smartphone Technology Noninvasively Measures Blood Hemoglobin Levels at POC
- Next Gen CBC and Sepsis Diagnostic System Targets Faster, Earlier, Easier Results
- Newly Discovered Blood Group System to Help Identify and Treat Rare Patients
- Blood Platelet Score Detects Previously Unmeasured Risk of Heart Attack and Stroke
- Automated Benchtop System to Bring Blood Testing To Anyone, Anywhere
- New Hematology Analyzers Deliver Combined ESR and CBC/DIFF Results in 60 Seconds
- Next Generation Instrument Screens for Hemoglobin Disorders in Newborns
Channels
Clinical Chemistry
view channel
Carbon Nanotubes Help Build Highly Accurate Sensors for Continuous Health Monitoring
Current sensors can measure various health indicators, such as blood glucose levels, in the body. However, there is a need to develop more accurate and sensitive sensor materials that can detect lower... Read more
Paper-Based Device Boosts HIV Test Accuracy from Dried Blood Samples
In regions where access to clinics for routine blood tests presents financial and logistical obstacles, HIV patients are increasingly able to collect and send a drop of blood using paper-based devices... Read moreMolecular Diagnostics
view channel
RNA-Based Blood Test Detects Preeclampsia Risk Months Before Symptoms
Preeclampsia remains a major cause of maternal morbidity and mortality, as well as preterm births. Despite current guidelines that aim to identify pregnant women at increased risk of preeclampsia using... Read more
First Of Its Kind Test Uses microRNAs to Predict Toxicity from Cancer Therapy
Many men with early-stage prostate cancer receive stereotactic body radiotherapy (SBRT), a highly precise form of radiation treatment that is completed in just five sessions. Compared to traditional radiation,... Read more
Novel Cell-Based Assay Provides Sensitive and Specific Autoantibody Detection in Demyelination
Anti-myelin-associated glycoprotein (MAG) antibodies serve as markers for an autoimmune demyelinating disorder that affects the peripheral nervous system, leading to sensory impairment. Anti-MAG-IgM antibodies... Read moreImmunology
view channel
Stem Cell Test Predicts Treatment Outcome for Patients with Platinum-Resistant Ovarian Cancer
Epithelial ovarian cancer frequently responds to chemotherapy initially, but eventually, the tumor develops resistance to the therapy, leading to regrowth. This resistance is partially due to the activation... Read more
Machine Learning-Enabled Blood Test Predicts Immunotherapy Response in Lymphoma Patients
Chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T-cell therapy has emerged as one of the most promising recent developments in the treatment of blood cancers. However, over half of non-Hodgkin lymphoma (NHL) patients... Read moreMicrobiology
view channel
Handheld Device Deliver Low-Cost TB Results in Less Than One Hour
Tuberculosis (TB) remains the deadliest infectious disease globally, affecting an estimated 10 million people annually. In 2021, about 4.2 million TB cases went undiagnosed or unreported, mainly due to... Read more
New AI-Based Method Improves Diagnosis of Drug-Resistant Infections
Drug-resistant infections, particularly those caused by deadly bacteria like tuberculosis and staphylococcus, are rapidly emerging as a global health emergency. These infections are more difficult to treat,... Read more
Breakthrough Diagnostic Technology Identifies Bacterial Infections with Almost 100% Accuracy within Three Hours
Rapid and precise identification of pathogenic microbes in patient samples is essential for the effective treatment of acute infectious diseases, such as sepsis. The fluorescence in situ hybridization... Read morePathology
view channel
Advanced Imaging Reveals Mechanisms Causing Autoimmune Disease
Myasthenia gravis, an autoimmune disease, leads to muscle weakness that can affect a range of muscles, including those needed for basic actions like blinking, smiling, or moving. Researchers have long... Read more
AI Model Effectively Predicts Patient Outcomes in Common Lung Cancer Type
Lung adenocarcinoma, the most common form of non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC), typically adopts one of six distinct growth patterns, often combining multiple patterns within a single tumor.... Read moreTechnology
view channel
Pain-On-A-Chip Microfluidic Device Determines Types of Chronic Pain from Blood Samples
Chronic pain is a widespread condition that remains difficult to manage, and existing clinical methods for its treatment rely largely on self-reporting, which can be subjective and especially problematic... Read more
Innovative, Label-Free Ratiometric Fluorosensor Enables More Sensitive Viral RNA Detection
Viruses present a major global health risk, as demonstrated by recent pandemics, making early detection and identification essential for preventing new outbreaks. While traditional detection methods are... Read moreIndustry
view channel
Cepheid and Oxford Nanopore Technologies Partner on Advancing Automated Sequencing-Based Solutions
Cepheid (Sunnyvale, CA, USA), a leading molecular diagnostics company, and Oxford Nanopore Technologies (Oxford, UK), the company behind a new generation of sequencing-based molecular analysis technologies,... Read more
Grifols and Tecan’s IBL Collaborate on Advanced Biomarker Panels
Grifols (Barcelona, Spain), one of the world’s leading producers of plasma-derived medicines and innovative diagnostic solutions, is expanding its offer in clinical diagnostics through a strategic partnership... Read more