DEK-NUP214-Fusion Identified by RNA-Sequencing of an Acute Myeloid Leukemia with t(9;12)(q34;q15)

Abstract

Background/aim: Given the diagnostic, prognostic, biologic, and even therapeutic impact of leukemia-associated translocations and fusion genes, it is important to detect cryptic genomic rearrangements that may exist in hematological malignancies.

Case report: RNA-sequencing was performed on an acute myeloid leukemia case with the bone marrow karyotype 45,X,-Y,t(9;12) (q34;q15)[16].

Results: The DEK-NUP214 and PRRC2B-DEK fusion genes were found. Reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction together with direct sequencing verified the presence of both. Fluorescence in situ hybridization showed that the DEK-NUP214 fusion gene was located on the 6p22 band of a seemingly normal chromosome 6.

Conclusion: RNA-sequencing proved to be a valuable tool for the detection of a fusion of genes DEK and NUP214 in a leukemia that showed cryptic cytogenetic rearrangement of chromosome band 9q34.

Keywords: Acute myeloid leukemia; DEK; DEK-NUP214 fusion gene; NUP214; PRRC2B; PRRC2B-DEK fusion gene; RNA-sequencing.