[Clinical features of CRLF2 overexpression in pediatric B-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia].

OBJECTIVES

To study the clinical features and prognostic impact of CRLF2 overexpression in children with B-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia (B-ALL).

METHODS

A retrospective study included pediatric B-ALL patients admitted to Sichuan Provincial Maternity and Child Health Care Hospital and Kunming Children's Hospital from October 2018 to October 2022. Patients were divided into a CRLF2 overexpression group and a control group without CRLF2 overexpression according to CRLF2 gene testing at initial diagnosis. Clinical features and prognosis between groups were compared.

RESULTS

A total of 93 children with B-ALL were enrolled, including 29 with CRLF2 overexpression. The age of onset ranged from 2 to 12 years. At diagnosis, the proportions of hepatosplenomegaly and thrombocytopenia in the CRLF2 overexpression group were significantly lower than those in the control group (P0.05), while the proportion of masses was significantly higher (P0.05). Significantly higher CRLF2 protein expression in the CRLF2 overexpression group than in the control group (P0.05). The mean 3-year event-free survival (EFS) and overall survival (OS) rates in the CRLF2 overexpression group were 75.9% and 85.9%, respectively, lower than the control group (90.1% and 91.0%, respectively), but the differences lacked statistical significance by log-rank test.

CONCLUSIONS

These findings suggest a potential role of CRLF2 overexpression in disease progression. Further studies with larger sample sizes are warranted to confirm its prognostic significance.