BAALC is an important predictor of refractoriness to chemotherapy and poor survival in intermediate-risk acute myeloid leukemia (AML)

We have analyzed brain and acute leukemia, cytoplasmic (BAALC) gene expression and other genetic markers (ERG, EVI1, MN1, PRAME, WT1, FLT3, and NPM1 mutations) in 127 intermediate-risk acute myeloid leukemia (AML) patients: 98 cytogenetically normal and 29 with intermediate-risk cytogenetic alterations. High versus low BAALC expressers showed a higher refractoriness to induction treatment (31% vs 10%; p = .005), lower complete remission rate after salvage therapy (82% vs 97%; p = .010), and lower 3-year overall (23% vs 58%, p < .001) and relapse-free survival (26% vs 52%, p = .006). Similar results were found when cytogenetic subgroups were analyzed separately. Multivariate models confirmed the unfavorable prognosis of this marker. In conclusion, BAALC is a relevant prognostic marker in intermediate-risk AML.