The prognostic significance of IDH1 mutations in younger adult patients with acute myeloid leukemia is dependent on FLT3/ITD status

Mutations in the isocitrate dehydrogenase gene (IDH1) were recently described in patients with acute myeloid leukemia (AML). To investigate their prognostic significance we determined IDH1 status in 1333 young adult patients, excluding acute promyelocytic leukemia, treated in the United Kingdom MRC AML10 and 12 trials. A mutation was detected in 107 patients (8%). Most IDH1(+) patients (91%) had intermediate-risk cytogenetics. Mutations correlated significantly with an NPM1 mutation (P < .0001) but not a FLT3/ITD (P = .9). No difference in outcome between IDH1(+) and IDH1(-) patients was found in univariate or multivariate analysis, or if the results were stratified by NPM1 mutation status. However, when stratified by FLT3/ITD status, an IDH1 mutation was an independent adverse factor for relapse in FLT3/ITD- patients (P = .008) and a favorable factor in FLT3/ITD+ patients (P = .02). These results suggest that metabolic changes induced by an IDH1 mutation may influence chemoresistance in a manner that is context-dependent. (Blood. 2010;116(15): 2779-2782)