Methods of evaluating relapse risk of acute myeloid leukemia using nucleic acids or fragments encoding flt3 kinase

Abstract

Aspects of the present application relate to nucleic acids and proteins having a tandem duplication mutation in a juxtamembrane domain of FMS-like tyrosine kinase 3 (FLT3) that are useful for pathological diagnosis and evaluation of leukemia. Also described are methods of detecting tandem duplication mutations in FLT3 kinase and methods of diagnosing and characterizing leukemia based on the presence of a tandem duplication mutation in a juxtamembrane domain of FLT3 kinase.

1 - 22 . (canceled) 
     
     
         23 . A method of ascertaining the presence or absence of a mutation in a human subject, which comprises:
 obtaining from the human subject a sample which comprises nucleic acid, wherein the nucleic acid comprises genomic DNA, cDNA or RNA;   detecting from the sample a nucleic acid fragment which encodes a portion of human FLT3 kinase; and   analyzing the nucleic acid fragment for the presence or absence of at least one in frame tandem duplication mutation and determining whether such duplication mutation is located within a nucleic acid region of human FLT3 kinase that is capable of being amplified by primers SEQ ID NO: 26 and SEQ ID NO: 27.   
     
     
         24 . The method of  claim 23 , wherein the in frame tandem duplication mutation is detected by sequencing. 
     
     
         25 . The method of  claim 23 , wherein the sample is peripheral blood. 
     
     
         26 . The method of  claim 23 , wherein the sample is one or more myelocytes.