EZH2 mutations are frequent and represent an early event in follicular lymphoma

Blood. 2013 Oct 31;122(18):3165-8. doi: 10.1182/blood-2013-04-496893. Epub 2013 Sep 19.

Abstract

Gain of function mutations in the H3K27 methyltransferase EZH2 represent a promising therapeutic target in germinal center lymphomas. In this study, we assessed the frequency and distribution of EZH2 mutations in a large cohort of patients with follicular lymphoma (FL) (n = 366) and performed a longitudinal analysis of mutation during the disease progression from FL to transformed FL (tFL) (n = 33). Mutations were detected at 3 recurrent mutation hot spots (Y646, A682, and A692) in 27% of FL cases with variant allele frequencies (VAF) ranging from 2% to 61%. By comparing VAF of EZH2 with other mutation targets (CREBBP, MLL2, TNFRSF14, and MEF2B), we were able to distinguish patients harboring clonal EZH2 mutation from rarer cases with subclonal mutations. Overall, the high incidence of EZH2 mutations in FL and their stability during disease progression makes FL an appropriate disease to evaluate EZH2 targeted therapy.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Biomarkers, Tumor / genetics*
  • CREB-Binding Protein / genetics
  • Cohort Studies
  • DNA Mutational Analysis
  • Disease Progression
  • Enhancer of Zeste Homolog 2 Protein
  • Gene Expression Profiling
  • Gene Frequency
  • Humans
  • Kaplan-Meier Estimate
  • Lymphoma, Follicular / genetics*
  • Lymphoma, Follicular / pathology
  • MEF2 Transcription Factors / genetics
  • Mutation*
  • Polycomb Repressive Complex 2 / genetics*
  • Receptors, Tumor Necrosis Factor, Member 14 / genetics
  • Time Factors

Substances

  • Biomarkers, Tumor
  • MEF2 Transcription Factors
  • MEF2B protein, human
  • Receptors, Tumor Necrosis Factor, Member 14
  • TNFRSF14 protein, human
  • EZH2 protein, human
  • Enhancer of Zeste Homolog 2 Protein
  • Polycomb Repressive Complex 2
  • CREB-Binding Protein
  • CREBBP protein, human