Abstract
Background: FMS-like tyrosine kinase-3 internal tandem duplication mutation (FLT3-ITD) ranked as the most ubiquitous sub-group of the FLT3 genetic aberration and was identified in about 20 to 30 percent of the entire acute myeloid leukemia (AML) cases. The patients harboring FLT3-ITD gene mutation carry dismal prognostic parameters.
Objective: This study is intended to investigate the distribution of clinical and laboratory characteristics in patients with AML, determine the incidence of FLT3-ITD mutations in adult newly diagnosed patients with AML, and compare the baseline characteristics between the FLT3-ITD mutated and FLT3 non-mutated cases.
Methods: In this study, fifty adult patients with newly diagnosed AML were prospectively studied. Every participant was investigated for peripheral blood film, bone marrow aspirate film, flow cytometry study, and complete blood count. To discover FLT3-ITD mutations, next-generation sequencing technique was used.
Results: Out of 50 AML patients, FLT3-ITD mutation was detected in 8 (16%) of the patients. The mean age of the FLT3-ITD mutation patients was lower than that of the non-mutant individuals. FLT3-ITD mutation is more likely to occur among females. Most FLT3-ITD mutations were found in the FAB classification M5 subtype (37.5%), followed by the M1 subtype (25%).
Conclusion: The frequency of the FLT3-ITD mutation in patients with AML was 16%. Fever was the most presenting symptom, and splenomegaly was the most presenting sign in patients with AML. FAB M5 was the most frequent subtype in FLT3-ITD mutation. There was non-significant rise in the white blood cell count and peripheral blood blast percentage in FLT3-ITD mutant patients compared with those without mutation
