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Screening for pre-leukemia TEL-AML1 chromosomal translocation in banked cord blood units: cord blood bank perspective

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Abstract

Acute lymphocytic leukemia is the most common leukemia in children. Many studies suggest the existence of two subsequent hits in order for the disease to occur. TEL-AML1 (ETV6-RUNX1) is considered an initial genetic hit that occurs prenatally and generates a pre-leukemia clone. In cord blood (CB) stem cell transplantation, donor cell leukemia (DCL) is one of the complications associated with the presence of the pre-leukemic clone. The aim of this study was to identify the prevalence of ETV6-RUNX1 translocation in CB units and the feasibility in implementing such a screening test, to ensure the safety of the CB units. A total of 424 CB samples were tested from the CB units banked at KAIMRC-CBB. RNA was extracted and cDNA synthesis was performed on 1 ug input RNA using Reverse Transcriptase RT-PCR methodology. Chromosomal translocation ETV6-RUNX1 was tested using real time quantitative PCR methodology. Our study showed undetectable levels of ETV6-RUNX1 in all tested CB samples. The samples were analyzed for the chromosomal translocation ETV6-RUNX1 under controlled conditions, using control and fusion genes with known concentrations. The result of this study does not rule out the importance of this screening test in predicting and/or preventing DCL. Moreover, the outcome strengthens the adopted system in our CBB for mother medical history screening prior to donation. We propose adding this test during the verification testing stage, prior to the release of CB units selected for transplantation rather than at the banking stage.

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Acknowledgements

This study received financial support from Sanad Children’s Cancer Support Association. Grant Number RGP-2013-05.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Cord Blood Bank, King Abdullah International Medical Research Center/College of Science and Health Professions, King Saud bin Abdulaziz University for Health Sciences/King Abdulaziz Medical City-Riyadh, Ministry of National Guard Health Affairs, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia

    Dunia Jawdat, Walid Almashaqbeh, Abdulrahman Sumaily & Nada Albaloushi

  2. Cell Therapy Laboratory, Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine/King Abdullah International Medical Research Center/College of Science and Health Professions, King Saud bin Abdulaziz University for Health Sciences/King Abdulaziz Medical City-Riyadh, Ministry of National Guard Health Affairs, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia

    Walid Almashaqbeh & Sami Jammah

  3. Department of Pediatric, College of Medicine, King Saud University, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia

    Abdulrahman Alsultan

  4. Saudi Stem Cells Donor Registry and Cord Blood Bank, King Abdullah International Medical Research Center, College of Medicine, King Saud bin Abdulaziz University for Health Sciences, King Abdulaziz Medical City, Ministry of National Guard Health Affairs, P.O. Box 22490, Riyadh, 11426, Saudi Arabia

    Dunia Jawdat

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  1. Dunia Jawdat
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  2. Walid Almashaqbeh
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  3. Abdulrahman Sumaily
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  4. Nada Albaloushi
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  5. Sami Jammah
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  6. Abdulrahman Alsultan
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All authors contributed to the study. All authors approved the final manuscript.

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Correspondence to Dunia Jawdat.

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The authors declare that there is no conflict of interest regarding the publication of this article.

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All participants were consented prior sample collection.

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Jawdat, D., Almashaqbeh, W., Sumaily, A. et al. Screening for pre-leukemia TEL-AML1 chromosomal translocation in banked cord blood units: cord blood bank perspective. Cell Tissue Bank 21, 625–630 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10561-020-09855-y

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10561-020-09855-y

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