Impact of Gender on Molecular AML Subclasses - a Harmony Alliance Study
Authors: Matteuzzi Tommaso , Dall'Olio Daniele , Sträng Eric , Merlotti Alessandra , Elicegui Javier Martinez , Benner Axel , Saadati Maral , Krzykalla Julia , Heckman Caroline A. , Heredia Casanoves Ana , Versluis Jurjen , Abáigar María , Hernandez-Sanchez Alberto , Jamilis Laura , Valk Peter JM , Metzeler Klaus H. , Ayala Rosa , Martinez Lopez Joaquin , Dombret Herve , Montesinos Pau , Sierra Jorge , Preudomme Claude , Damm Frederick , Mills Ken I , Azibeiro Melchor Raúl , Mayer Jiří , Thiede Christian , Voso Maria Teresa , Amadori Sergio , Sanz Guillermo , Calado Frederico , Döhner Konstanze , Gaidzik Verena I , Heuser Michael , Haferlach Torsten , Sobas Marta , Turki Amin T. , Reinhardt Dirk , Villoria Medina Rubén , van Speybroeck Michel , Schulze-Rath Renate , Hernández Rivas Jesús M , Huntly Brian J.P , Döhner Hartmut , Ossenkoppele Gert J. , Gastone Castellani , Bullinger Lars 
Published: November 2021

Abstract
The large acute myeloid leukemia (AML) patient-derived data sets collected within the European HARMONY alliance allows to study the molecular heterogeneity underlying AML in detail. Especially, how cytogenetic and molecular genetic aberrations differentially affect patients. Here, we report first results on the differences in mutational patterns in males and females. We studied a cohort of AML patients characterized by a panel of 70 molecular abnormalities comprising both cytogenetic and genetic observations. We quantified the differences of molecular patterns between sexes in two ways: 1) by comparing the number of gene-gene mutation co-occurrence and mutual mutation exclusivity with a χ 2 test, 2) exploiting the Hierarchical Dirichlet process (HDP) for molecular components discovery. In particular, we added sex as a further layer of the hierarchy allowing the same molecular components to be differently re-weighted based on gender. The HARMONY AML cohort comprised 2796 patients with detailed molecular information from targeted sequencing of 41 genes and detailed cytogenetic information condensed into 29 cytogenetic properties, known, a priori, to be relevant for the disease. Male to female ratio was 52% vs. 48% and median age was 52.0 (18.2 - 91.4) years. The entry data of the analysis were in the form of a binary matrix reporting the presence/absence of a given alteration in a patient. The χ 2 test based on the relative co-occurrence of mutation pairs suggested a significant difference between men and women solely for RUNX1 and NPM1. The number of co-occurrences was higher in male than in females. No significant mutual exclusive mutations were found between the populations. By using a two hierarchic levels HDP clustering we identified 11 overall molecular components shared by all AML patients. Six of these components are characterized by one or more genetic drivers, namely: NPM1, RUNX1, Complex-Karyotype-TP53, FLT3-IDH2, IDH2, CEPBA-biallelic, while the others were driven by cytogenetic abnormalities: t(6;9), t(8;21), inv(3), rearrangement of 11q23, inv(16). These results were in agreement with the current WHO AML classification and with other recent studies, which have attempted to improve stratification/classification of patients based on their molecular aberration patterns. While the molecular components were the same for all patients, major differences were observed in the contribution of NPM1 and RUNX1 components to males' and females' genotypes. On one side, NPM1 component has a double weight in females with respect to males. On the other hand, RUNX1 impacts males much more than females. The other aberrations were equally represented in both sexes. To test the robustness of the differences found between sexes, we compared these results with random splits of the datasets finding no differences in component weights, thereby validating our observations.
Big data collections such as the HARMONY Alliance data base ensure data comparability via OMOP common data model harmonization approaches thereby offering the possibility to study large cohort that allow meaningful subgroup analyses such as the one focusing on gender imbalances. Proving the concept of the HARMONY Alliance data hub, our study confirms a female preponderance for NPM1 mutations and an association of RUNX1 mutations with male gender. Impact on patient outcome is currently evaluated and will be presented at the annual meeting.
Figure 1 Figure 1.

Disclosures
Heckman: Celgene/BMS: Research Funding; Orion Pharma: Research Funding; Novartis: Research Funding; Oncopeptides: Consultancy, Research Funding; Kronos Bio, Inc.: Research Funding. Dombret: Abbvie: Honoraria; Amgen: Honoraria, Research Funding; Incyte: Honoraria, Research Funding; Jazz Pharmaceuticals: Honoraria, Research Funding; NOVARTIS: Research Funding; pfizer: Honoraria, Research Funding; servier: Research Funding; BMS-Celgene: Honoraria; Daiichi Sankyo: Honoraria. Montesinos: Tolero Pharmaceutical: Consultancy; Agios: Consultancy; Stemline/Menarini: Consultancy; Teva: Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees, Research Funding, Speakers Bureau; Sanofi: Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees, Speakers Bureau; Pfizer: Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees, Research Funding, Speakers Bureau; Novartis: Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees, Research Funding, Speakers Bureau; Karyopharm: Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees, Research Funding; Janssen: Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees, Research Funding, Speakers Bureau; Incyte: Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees, Speakers Bureau; Daiichi Sankyo: Consultancy, Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees, Research Funding, Speakers Bureau; Celgene: Consultancy, Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees, Research Funding, Speakers Bureau; Forma Therapeutics: Consultancy; Glycomimetics: Consultancy; AbbVie: Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees, Research Funding, Speakers Bureau; Astellas Pharma, Inc.: Consultancy, Honoraria, Other: Advisory board, Research Funding, Speakers Bureau. Sierra: Astellas: Consultancy, Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees, Research Funding, Speakers Bureau; Novartis: Honoraria, Research Funding, Speakers Bureau; Jazz Pharmaceuticals: Research Funding; Janssen: Other: Educational grant; Roche: Other: Educational grant; Pfizer: Honoraria; BMS Celgene: Honoraria, Research Funding; Alexion: Other: Educational grant; Amgen: Other: Educational grant; Abbvie: Honoraria, Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees, Speakers Bureau. Mayer: Principia: Research Funding. Voso: Novartis: Speakers Bureau; Celgene: Consultancy, Research Funding, Speakers Bureau. Sanz: Roche: Consultancy, Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees, Other: Travel, accommodations, and expenses; Amgen: Consultancy, Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees; Takeda: Consultancy, Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees, Other: Travel, accommodations, and expenses, Speakers Bureau; Novartis: Consultancy, Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees, Speakers Bureau; Boehringer Ingelheim: Consultancy, Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees; Janssen: Consultancy, Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees; Gilead Sciences: Other: Travel, accommodations, and expenses; Helsinn Healthcare: Consultancy, Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees; Abbvie: Consultancy, Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees; Celgene: Consultancy, Honoraria, Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees, Other: Travel, accommodations, and expenses, Research Funding. Calado: Novartis: Current Employment. Döhner: Agios and Astex: Research Funding; Daiichi Sankyo: Honoraria, Other: Advisory Board; Jazz Roche: Consultancy, Honoraria; Abbvie: Consultancy, Honoraria; Janssen: Honoraria, Other: Advisory Board; Astellas: Research Funding; Celgene/BMS: Consultancy, Honoraria, Research Funding; Novartis: Consultancy, Honoraria, Research Funding. Gaidzik: Pfizer: Speakers Bureau; Janssen: Speakers Bureau; Abbvie: Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees, Speakers Bureau. Heuser: BergenBio: Research Funding; Jazz Pharmaceuticals: Honoraria, Research Funding; BMS/Celgene: Research Funding; Bayer AG: Honoraria, Research Funding; Astellas: Research Funding; Daichi Sankyo: Honoraria, Research Funding; Karyopharm: Research Funding; Novartis: Honoraria, Research Funding; Pfizer: Honoraria, Research Funding; Roche: Research Funding; Tolremo: Honoraria; AbbVie: Honoraria; Janssen: Honoraria. Haferlach: MLL Munich Leukemia Laboratory: Other: Part ownership. Sobas: Celgene: Consultancy, Honoraria; Novartis: Consultancy, Honoraria. Turki: CSL Behring: Consultancy; Jazz Pharma: Consultancy, Speakers Bureau; MSD: Consultancy, Speakers Bureau. Schulze-Rath: Bayer: Current Employment. Hernández Rivas: Pfizer: Honoraria, Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees; Novartis: Honoraria, Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees, Research Funding; Celgene/BMS: Honoraria, Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees, Research Funding; Amgen: Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees. Döhner: Abbvie: Honoraria, Research Funding; Agios: Honoraria, Research Funding; Amgen: Honoraria, Research Funding; Astellas: Honoraria, Research Funding; Astex Pharmaceuticals: Honoraria; AstraZeneca: Honoraria; Berlin-Chemie: Honoraria; Bristol Myers Squibb: Honoraria, Research Funding; Celgene: Honoraria, Research Funding; GEMoaB: Honoraria; Gilead: Honoraria; Helsinn: Honoraria; Janssen: Honoraria; Jazz Pharmaceuticals: Honoraria, Research Funding; Novartis: Honoraria, Research Funding; Oxford Biomedica: Honoraria; Pfizer: Research Funding; Roche: Honoraria. Ossenkoppele: Abbvie, AGIOS, BMS/Celgene Astellas,AMGEN, Gilead,Servier,JAZZ,Servier Novartis: Consultancy, Honoraria; Servier: Consultancy, Honoraria; Agios: Consultancy, Honoraria; Astellas: Consultancy, Honoraria; BMS/Celgene: Consultancy, Honoraria; Jazz: Consultancy, Honoraria; Gilead: Consultancy, Honoraria. Bullinger: Menarini: Consultancy; Amgen: Honoraria; Hexal: Consultancy; Novartis: Consultancy, Honoraria; Bristol-Myers Squibb: Consultancy, Honoraria; Pfizer: Consultancy, Honoraria; Jazz Pharmaceuticals: Consultancy, Honoraria, Research Funding; Janssen: Consultancy, Honoraria; Celgene: Consultancy, Honoraria; Daiichi Sankyo: Consultancy, Honoraria; Astellas: Honoraria; Abbvie: Consultancy, Honoraria; Gilead: Consultancy; Sanofi: Honoraria; Seattle Genetics: Honoraria; Bayer: Research Funding.