CD7 aberrant expression led to a lineage switch at relapsed childhood acute pre-B lymphoblastic leukemia

Abstract

Immunophenotypic changes and lineage switch between diagnosis and relapse in acute lymphoblastic leukemia are uncommon and accompanied by poor outcomes. In this report, a 12-year-old boy with diagnosis of pre-B ALL with an aberrant expression of CD 7 is described. Patient was treated with the ALL-BFM 2000 protocol and suffered an episode of relapse with a lineage switch from pre-B ALL to T cell ALL. This report concludes that presence of aberrant expression of CD7 at diagnosis of pre-B ALL can have prognostic value of lineage switch to T cell ALL at relapse.

Transformation of the acute myeloid leukemia to acute B cell lymphoblastic leukemia with CAR-T cell therapy: a case report and review of the literature

“…This case suggests that the prognosis of acute leukemia with lineage switch after relapse is poor [8,21]. Treatment needs to be adjusted according to the phenotype after recurrence.…”

Leukemogenesis in Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia through the Lens of Developmental Dynamics of Lymphoid Progenitor Cells: a systematic review

“…Dysregulated CD7 expression may disrupt normal cell fate decisions, leading to the expansion of leukemic progenitor cells with altered differentiation potential and increased self-renewal capacity. This dysregulation can contribute to the development and maintenance of leukemic phenotypes observed in ALL [172].…”