Analysis of the clinical characteristics of 28 children with NF1
mutation-positive acute leukemia and literature review
Abstract
Objective: To summarize the clinical characteristics, treatment
effects and survival outcomes of children with NF1
mutation-positive acute leukemia. Methods: The clinical data
and prognosis of 28 patients with NF1 mutation-positive acute
leukemia treated at Beijing Children’s Hospital, Capital Medical
University, between January 2017 and February 2024 were retrospectively
analyzed. Results: A total of 28 patients were included in the
study, with a median follow-up of 16 (1.2–85.5) months. Twelve patients
had acute lymphoblastic leukemia, of whom 75.0% were at intermediate
risk. Complete response (CR) was achieved in the bone marrow after
induction chemotherapy, with a minimal residual disease (MRD) of 1×10
-3 at Day 33. Fifteen patients had acute myeloid
leukemia (AML), of whom 66.7% were at high risk. The CR rate in the
bone marrow was 86.6% at Day 28. Eleven (73.3%) patients survived at
the end of follow-up. One patient with acute promyelocytic leukemia had
standard risk and a good response. The overall survival rate of children
with NF1 mutations was comparable to that of children with no
mutations. However, children with germline NF1 mutations had a
poor prognosis compared with those with somatic mutations, especially in
AML patients. The frequency of NF1 mutations was 2–87.7%. The
clinical manifestations of 3 patients with neurofibromatosis included
café-au-lait macules, freckles, xanthogranuloma, scoliosis, and benign
intracranial lesions. Conclusion: Most NF1 mutations in
children with acute leukemia are somatic mutations that do not affect
overall survival. Children with leukemia complicated with
neurofibromatosis should undergo lifelong follow-up.