Increased megakaryocytic proliferation, pro-platelet deposition and expression of fibrosis-associated factors in children with chronic myeloid leukaemia with bone marrow fibrosis

Leukemia. 2017 Jul;31(7):1540-1546. doi: 10.1038/leu.2017.73. Epub 2017 Feb 27.

Abstract

Paediatric chronic myeloid leukaemia (ped-CML) is rare and ped-CML with fibre accumulation in the bone marrow (MF) is thought to be even rarer. In adults (ad-CML), fibrosis represents an adverse prognostic factor. So far, the pro-fibrotic changes in the bone marrow microenvironment have not been investigated in detail in ped-CML. From a total of 66 ped-CML in chronic phase, biopsies were analysable and 10 had MF1/2 (MF1, n=8/10; MF2, n=2/10). We randomly selected 16 ped-CML and 16 ad-CML cases with and without fibrosis (each n=8) as well as 18 non-neoplastic controls. Bone marrow samples were analysed with a real-time PCR-based assay (including 127 genes for paediatric cases) and by immunohistochemistry. We found increased expression of megakaryocytic genes in ped-CML. The number of megakaryocytes and pro-platelets are increased in CML patients, but the most significant increase was noted for ped-CML-MF1/2. Anti-fibrotic MMP9 expression was lower in children than in adults. Cell mobilisation-related CXCL12 was decreased in young and adult patients with CML but not the corresponding receptor CXCR4. In summary, fibre accumulation in ped-CML-MF1/2 is associated with increased megakaryocytic proliferation and increased interstitial pro-platelet deposition. Deregulated expression of matrix-modulating factors shifts the bone marrow microenvironment towards fibrosis.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Adolescent
  • Blood Platelets / physiology*
  • Bone Marrow / pathology*
  • Cell Proliferation
  • Chemokine CXCL12 / analysis
  • Child
  • Child, Preschool
  • Female
  • Fibrosis
  • Humans
  • Infant
  • Infant, Newborn
  • Leukemia, Myelogenous, Chronic, BCR-ABL Positive / pathology*
  • Male
  • Megakaryocytes / pathology*
  • MicroRNAs / analysis
  • Mutation
  • Transcriptome

Substances

  • CXCL12 protein, human
  • Chemokine CXCL12
  • MIRN10 microRNA, human
  • MIRN146 microRNA, human
  • MicroRNAs