Prognostic impact of DDX41 germline mutations in intensively treated acute myeloid leukemia patients: an ALFA-FILO study

DDX41 germline mutations (DDX41MutGL) are the most common genetic predisposition to myelodysplastic syndrome and acute myeloid leukemia (AML). Recent reports suggest that DDX41MutGL myeloid malignancies could be considered as a distinct entity, even if their specific presentation and outcome remain to be defined. We describe here the clinical and biological features of 191 patients with DDX41MutGL AML. Baseline characteristics and outcome of 86 of these patients, treated with intensive chemotherapy in 5 prospective Acute Leukemia French Association/French Innovative Leukemia Organization trials, were compared with those of 1604 patients with DDX41 wild-type (DDX41WT) AML, representing a prevalence of 5%. Patients with DDX41MutGL AML were mostly male (75%), in their seventh decade, and with low leukocyte count (median, 2 × 109/L), low bone marrow blast infiltration (median, 33%), normal cytogenetics (75%), and few additional somatic mutations (median, 2). A second somatic DDX41 mutation (DDX41MutSom) was found in 82% of patients, and clonal architecture inference suggested that it could be the main driver for AML progression. DDX41MutGL patients displayed higher complete remission rates (94% vs 69%; P < .0001) and longer restricted mean overall survival censored at hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT) than 2017 European LeukemiaNet intermediate/adverse (Int/Adv) DDX41WT patients (5-year difference in restricted mean survival times, 13.6 months; P < .001). Relapse rates censored at HSCT were lower at 1 year in DDX41MutGL patients (15% vs 44%) but later increased to be similar to Int/Adv DDX41WT patients at 3 years (82% vs 75%). HSCT in first complete remission was associated with prolonged relapse-free survival (hazard ratio, 0.43; 95% confidence interval, 0.21-0.88; P = .02) but not with longer overall survival (hazard ratio, 0.77; 95% confidence interval, 0.35-1.68; P = .5).