Deletions of 9p21-22, that frequently include the alpha-, beta- and omega-IFN gene cluster, are common in malignant diseases such as acute lymphocytic leukemia, malignant melanoma and malignant glioma.
We conclude that deletion of alpha- and beta-IFN genes is a relatively common event in ALL and that RFLP analysis of the IFN genes may provide additional prognostic information in childhood ALL.
Moreover, patients whose malignant cells carry IFN gene deletions or other defects in their IFN-producing capacity, but are still sensitive to exogenous IFN, could represent a subgroup of ALL with a greater likelihood of responding to IFN therapy.
The results suggest that alpha IFN gene deletions may be rare events in null ALL of infants but their incidence and cellular consequences remain unknown.
Scanning densitometry and restriction fragment length polymorphism analysis were used to study the alpha-, beta-, gamma-, and omega-interferon (IFN) genes in malignant cells from 11 children with acute lymphocytic leukemia and in one cell line of T-cell origin.