Single nucleotide polymorphism in IL1B is associated with infection risk in paediatric acute myeloid leukaemia

We evaluated single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) associated with infection risk in children with newly diagnosed acute myeloid leukaemia (AML). We conducted a multicentre, prospective cohort study that included children aged ≤18 years with de novo AML. DNA was isolated from blood lymphocytes or buccal swabs, and candidate gene SNP analysis was conducted. Primary outcome was the occurrence of microbiologically documented sterile site infection during chemotherapy. Secondary outcomes were Gram-positive and -negative infections, viridans group streptococcal infection and proven/probable invasive fungal infection. Interpretation was guided by consistency in risk alleles and microbiologic agent with previous literature. Over the study period 254 children and adolescents with AML were enrolled. Overall, 190 (74.8%) had at least one sterile site microbiologically documented infection. Among the 172 with inferred European ancestry and DNA available, nine significant associations were observed; two were consistent with previous literature. Allele A at IL1B (rs16944) was associated with decreased microbiologically documented infection, and allele G at IL10 (rs1800896) was associated with increased risk of Gram-positive infection. We identified SNPs associated with infection risk in paediatric AML. Genotype may provide insight into mechanisms of infection risk that could be used for supportive-care novel treatments.

Absence of germline and somatic p53 alterations in children with sporadic brain tumors

Cancers of the central nervous system are the most common solid tumors of childhood. Although somatic alterations of the p53 tumor suppressor gene have been implicated in brain tumorigenesis, the role of germline p53 mutations in the development of childhood brain tumors has not been well defined. As a component of an ongoing extensive study of the epidemiology of childhood brain tumors, we prospectively examined the germline and tumor p53 gene status in 85 children without a family history of cancer who were diagnosed with a sporadic malignant central nervous system tumor. Using PCR/single-strand conformational polymorphism analysis and direct DNA sequencing, 85 children were screened for the presence of constitutional p53 sequence alterations in exons 2 and 4 through 11. No mutations were identified. Commonly reported sequence polymorphisms were observed at codon 72, as well as in 2 other previously described nucleotide residues. Forty-four brain tumor samples were available for analysis and of these 40 were paired with peripheral blood. Once again, no p53 mutations were found. Of the 5 germline samples with the 2 common polymorphisms, only one had a paired tumor sample for comparison and the tumor contained the same alteration as the germline. Of note, one tumor, a PNET of the cerebellum (medulloblastoma), showed loss of heterozygosity at codon 72. We can conclude that the frequency of germline and somatic p53 mutations in sporadic childhood brain tumors is very low, probably less than 1%, and there is no need to screen these patients routinely for their germline p53 status. However, the potential significance of LOH at codon 72 remains to be elucidated.

p53 compound heterozygosity in a severely affected child with Li-Fraumeni syndrome

The Li-Fraumeni Syndrome (LFS) is a rare, dominantly inherited syndrome that features high risk of cancers in childhood and early adulthood. Affected families tend to develop bone and soft tissue sarcomas, breast cancers, brain tumors, leukemias, and adrenocortical carcinomas. In some kindreds, the genetic abnormality associated with this cancer phenotype is a heterozygous germline mutation in the p53 tumor suppressor gene. Recently, we identified one patient who presented in early childhood with multiple primary cancers and who harbored three germline p53 alterations (R156H and R267Q on the maternal allele and R290H on the paternal allele). To classify the biologic effects of these alterations, functional properties of each of the p53 mutants were examined using in vitro assays of cellular growth suppression and transcriptional activation. Each amino acid substitution conferred partial or complete loss of wild-type p53 function, but the child completed normal embryonic development. This observation has not been previously reported in a human, but is consistent with observations of normal embryogenesis in p53-deficient mice.

Controlled pilot study of rapid amphotericin B infusions

This pilot study compared the toxicity of a one hour with a four hour amphotericin B infusion in children. There were more severe chills in the former group on the first day of infusion, and more hypotension in the latter group over the study duration.

High frequency of germline p53 mutations in childhood adrenocortical cancer

BACKGROUND

Adrenocortical carcinoma (ADCC) is a rare childhood cancer, affecting three of 1 million children younger than 16 years old in the United States. ADCC may be found in association with the Li-Fraumeni and Beckwith-Wiedemann syndromes. Children with ADCC are also at substantially increased risk of second primary cancers. Because of these associations, it is believed that the genetic basis for ADCC is stronger than for most childhood malignancies. Germline mutations of the TP53 tumor suppressor gene are associated with cancer predisposition in families with the Li-Fraumeni syndrome as well as in individuals with sporadically occurring component tumors of the syndrome.

PURPOSE

We investigated the possibility that germline TP53 gene alterations existed in children with ADCC.

METHODS

Sixteen children with ADCC under the age of 18 were identified from searches of medial oncology records at three Canadian hospitals. Eleven of these 16 patients identified were alive. The mean age at diagnosis was 4.8 years (range, 1-17 years). Family histories were obtained for 11 unselected children with ADCC (six girls and five boys). Pathologic confirmation of tumor diagnosis was obtained from the medical records. Using single-strand conformational polymorphism analysis followed by single-strand DNA sequencing, genomic DNA extracted from whole blood was analyzed for the presence of TP53 mutations for six living ADCC patients.

RESULTS

Three of six (50%) children were found to carry germline TP53 mutations in exons 5, 6, and 7, respectively. Both wild-type and mutant alleles were identified in all three TP53 sequences, indicating that the patients were heterozygous for germline TP53 mutations. None of these children was from a family with the Li-Fraumeni syndrome. The mutation in one child was shown to be inherited from the mother, who subsequently developed breast cancer. A striking excess of cancer was found in one family of a patient carrying wild-type TP53.

CONCLUSIONS

Our observation of a high frequency of germline TP53 mutations in children with sporadic ADCC suggests that these children may represent probands with which to ascertain Li-Fraumeni syndrome families. It may be reasonable for children with adrenocortical carcinoma to be candidates for germline TP53 analysis. In light of the wealth of information in the Li-Fraumeni literature that associates germline TP53 mutations with a variety of malignancies, this testing may have important consequences for risk assessment for other close relatives, including early-onset breast cancer in the mothers.