Journal of

Background and Aim: FLT3 gene is a member of class III receptor Tyrosine Kinase, which is expressed in most patients with acute myeloid leukemia (AML). Mutations of FLT3 such as Internal Tandem Duplication (ITD) and point mutation of the D835 are the most common genetic defects in myeloid leukemia. These two mutations in patients with MLA and their effect on survival rate were studied for the first time in Iran.

Materials and Methods: DNA was extracted from the blood or bone marrow samples of 100 patients with AML from October 2008 to September 2009. For further analysis, PCR was performed to determine the prevalence of these mutations and their association with prognosis. Moreover, t and x² statistical tests were applied for data analysis.

Results: According to the results, 15% of patients revealed FLT3-ITD mutations and 8% showed mutation of D835 in FLT3 gene. In terms of achieving complete remission (CR), patients with mutation of ITD had more chance than those without such mutation (83.5% versus 53.3%). The white blood cell count was significantly higher in the ITD⁺ (mean = 73,646/ml) than ITD^- patients (mean = 26,580/ml).

Conclusion : The results indicate that FLT3-ITD mutations may reduce the chances of Complete Remission (CR) in patients however, FLT3-ITD mutation is an important factor in selecting appropriate treatment.