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OBJECTIVE: To study the clinical significance of minimal residual disease (MRD) in B-lineage acute lymphoblastic leukemia (B-ALL) pediatric patients with different fusion gene backgrounds. METHODS: A retrospective analysis was performed on the medical data of 441 B-ALL children who were treated from January 2008 to April 2015. Among the 441 children, 336 had negative fusion gene, 79 had positive ETV6-RUNX1 fusion gene, and 26 had positive E2A-PBX1 fusion gene. Flow cytometry was used to detect MRD, and the influence of MRD on day 15 (TP1), day 33 (TP2), and week 12 (TP3) of induction therapy on prognosis was analyzed. RESULTS: In patients with negative fusion gene, the positive MRD group had significantly lower overall survival (OS) rate and event-free survival (EFS) rate (P < 0.05) and significantly higher recurrence rate and mortality rate at TP1, TP2, and TP3, compared with the negative MRD group (P < 0.05). In patients with positive ETV6-RUNX1, the positive MRD group had significantly lower OS and EFS rates (P < 0.05) and significantly higher recurrence rate and mortality rate (P < 0.05) than the negative MRD group only at TP1. In patients with positive E2A-PBX1, there were no significant differences in the OS rate, recurrence rate, and mortality rate between the positive and negative MRD groups at TP1, TP2, and TP3 (P > 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: MRD has the most definite prognostic significance in pediatric B-ALL patients with negative fusion gene, while it has unsatisfactory prognostic significance in those with positive ETV6-RUNX1 or positive E2A-PBX1.

OBJECTIVE: To compare the efficacy of the CAMS-2005 and CAMS-2009 regimens in treating children with non-core binding factor acute myeloid leukemia (non-CBF AML) and to study the prognosis factors. METHODS: A total of 161 children who were initially diagnosed with non-CBF AML from April 2005 to December 2015 were enrolled as study subjects, and were divided into a CAMS-2005 regimen group (n=52) and a CAMS-2009 regimen group (n=109) according to the chemotherapy regimen provided. The efficacy was retrospectively compared between the two groups. RESULTS: The complete remission (CR) rate at the first course of treatment was higher in the CAMS-2009 regimen group than that in the CMAS-2005 regimen group (63.3% vs 46.2%; P < 0.05). There were no significant differences between the two groups in treatment-related mortality rate (11.9% vs 17.3%), recurrence rate (27.5% vs 28.8%), and three-year overall survival (OS) rate (44%±5% vs 28%±6%) (P > 0.05). Children who achieved CR at the first course of treatment had significantly higher OS and event-free survival rates than those who did not achieved CR (P < 0.01). CONCLUSIONS: The CAMS-2009 regimen is superior to the CAMS-2005 regimen in improving the CR rate in children with non-CBF AML after induction treatment. Whether CR is achieved at the first course of treatment can affect the OS rate of children with non-CBF AML.

OBJECTIVE: To study the association of platelet level at diagnosis with prognosis in children with acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL). METHODS: A total of 892 children with ALL who underwent chemotherapy with the CCLG-ALL 2008 regimen were enrolled. According to the platelet count at diagnosis, these children were divided into normal platelet count group (platelet count ≥ 100×10(9)/L; n=263) and thrombocytopenia group (platelet count < 100×10(9)/L; n=629). The thrombocytopenia group was further divided into (50- < 100)×10(9)/L (n=243), (20- < 50)×10(9)/L (n=263), and < 20×10(9)/L (n=123) subgroups. The association of clinical features (sex, age, immunophenotype, and molecular biology) with event-free survival (EFS) and overall survival (OS) was analyzed. RESULTS: Compared with the thrombocytopenia group, the normal platelet count group had significantly lower positive rate of MLL gene rearrangement and recurrence rate (P < 0.05), as well as a significantly higher 10-year EFS rate (P < 0.05). There was no significant difference in 10-year OS between the two groups (P > 0.05). The normal platelet count group still had a significantly higher 10-year EFS rate than the thrombocytopenia group after the children with MLL gene rearrangement were excluded (P < 0.05), and there was still no significant difference in 10-year OS between the two groups (P > 0.05). The < 20×10(9)/L subgroup had significantly lower 10-year EFS and OS rates than the normal platelet count group, the (50- < 100)×10(9)/L subgroup, and the (20- < 50)×10(9)/L subgroup (P < 0.05). After the children with MLL gene rearrangement were excluded, the < 20×10(9)/L subgroup still had significantly lower 10-year EFS and OS rates than the normal platelet count group, the (50- < 100)×10(9)/L subgroup, and the (20- < 50)×10(9)/L subgroup (P < 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: ALL children with MLL gene rearrangement often have the clinical manifestation of thrombocytopenia. Platelet level at diagnosis is associated with the prognosis of ALL children. The children with normal platelet count have a low recurrence rate and good prognosis, and those with a platelet count of < 20×10(9)/L have the worst prognosis.