Origins of STIL‐TAL1 fusion genes in children who later developed paediatric T‐cell acute lymphoblastic leukaemia: An investigation of neonatal blood spots. Issue 11 (3rd July 2018) - Gustafsson, Britt M.
Abstract: SCL/TAL1 interrupting locus ( STIL ) ‐ T‐cell acute leukaemia ( TAL1 ) fusion genes are present in approximately 11‐27% of children with paediatric T‐cell acute lymphoblastic leukaemia (T‐ALL), but the developmental timing of the rearrangement is still unknown. To investigate whether the fusion gene can be detected in neonatal blood spots (NBSs) from paediatric patients diagnosed with T‐cell ALL, we analysed DNA from 38 paediatric patients with T‐ALL by nested polymerase chain reaction and electrophoresis. The STIL‐TAL1 fusion gene was not detected in NBSs from any of the 38 patients with T‐ALL, suggesting that STIL‐TAL1 fusion genes are most probably postnatal events in paediatric T‐ALL.