PURPOSE: Applying current diagnostic methods, overt CNS involvement is a rare event in childhood @entity981 ( @entity981 ). In contrast, CNS-directed therapy is essential for all @entity1 with @entity981 because without it, the majority of @entity1 eventually will experience relapse. To approach this discrepancy and to explore potential distinct biologic properties of leukemic cells that migrate into the CNS, we compared gene expression profiles of childhood @entity981 @entity1 with initial CNS involvement with the profiles of CNS-negative @entity1 . @entity1 AND METHODS: We evaluated leukemic gene expression profiles from the bone marrow of 17 CNS-positive @entity1 and 26 CNS-negative @entity1 who were frequency matched for risk factors associated with CNS involvement. Results were confirmed by real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction analysis and validated using independent @entity1 samples. RESULTS: @entity8252 ( @entity8252 ) expression was consistently upregulated in leukemic cells of CNS-positive @entity1 compared with CNS-negative @entity1 . In multivariate analysis, @entity8252 expression levels greater than the median were associated with CNS involvement compared with expression equal to or less than the median (odds ratio [OR] = 10.70; 95% CI, 2.95 to 38.81). Diagnostic likelihood ratios for CNS positivity were 0.09 (95% CI, 0.01 to 0.65) for the first and 6.93 (95% CI, 2.55 to 18.83) for the fourth @entity8252 expression quartiles. In @entity1 who were CNS negative at diagnosis, @entity8252 levels greater than the median were associated with subsequent CNS relapse compared with expression equal to or less than the median (OR = 13.80; 95% CI, 3.38 to 56.31). CONCLUSION: Quantification of leukemic @entity8252 expression at diagnosis predicts CNS status and could be a new tool to further tailor CNS-directed therapy in childhood @entity981 .

High XXXX expression characterizes childhood @entity981 with involvement of the CNS.

@entity1 :: ('9606', 'Species') :: ['patients', 'patient', 'PATIENTS'] @entity8252 :: ('3600', 'Gene') :: ['Interleukin-15', 'IL-15'] @entity981 :: ('MESH:D054198', 'Disease') :: ['ALL', 'acute lymphoblastic leukemia']
@entity8252 :: (3600,Gene) :: ['interleukin-15']
