Role of Ikaros Zinc Finger Protein 1 (IKZF1) Gene Deletion in Patients with Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia

Objective

To determine the frequency of Ikaros zinc finger protein 1 (IKZF1) gene deletions in patients with acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL), and to assess their association with early hematological remission following induction therapy. Study Design: Cross-sectional study. Place and Duration of Study: Armed Forces Bone Marrow Transplant Centre (AFBMTC) and Department of Haematology, Army Medical College Rawalpindi, Pakistan, from Dec 2019 to Dec 2020. Methodology: Bone marrow and peripheral blood samples from 44 newly diagnosed ALL patients were analyzed for IKZF1 deletions (exons Δ2–7, Δ2–8, Δ4–7, Δ4–8) using allele-specific PCR followed by Sanger sequencing. Day-29 hematological remission was assessed morphologically and correlated with IKZF1 status. Statistical analysis was performed using Chi-square and Mann Whitney U tests, with a p-value <0.05 being considered significant.