Point Mutation of the ras Protooncogenes and Chromosome Aberrations in Acute Nonlymphocytic Leukemia and Preleukemia Related to Therapy with Alkylating Agents¹

Nine cases of overt acute nonlymphocytic leukemia and four cases of preleukemia or a myelodysplastic syndrome, all related to intensive treatment with alkylating agents, were studied cytogenetically and investigated using a rapid and sensitive dot blot screening procedure for point mutations in the Ha-ras, Ki-ras, and N-ras protooncogenes within codons 12, 13, and 61. The technique involves a selective amplification of genomic DNA sequences containing the codon sequence of interest, in combination with oligonucleotide hybridization. Examining fractionated mononuclear cells from bone marrow or peripheral blood, an N-ras mutation at position 13 was observed in one patient with overt leukemia, resulting in a base change from GGT to TGT thus converting glycine to cysteine. The other cases exhibited no ras gene mutations. It is surprising that c-ras mutations are only occasionally observed in overt acute nonlymphocytic leukemia related to treatment with alkylating agents, as such abnormalities have often been observed in acute nonlymphocytic leukemia de novo, and as many alkylating agents are known to produce DNA adducts leading to point mutations and substitution of single amino acids. The fact that deletions of varying parts of the long arms of chromosomes 5 and 7 are observed in most cases of therapy-related acute nonlymphocytic leukemia and preleukemia, as confirmed by our own series of 71 patients, suggests that loss of heterozygosity for specific alleles on the two chromosomes, rather than activation of a protooncogene, could be an important step in leukemogenesis.