Clonal dominance of a donor-derived del(20q) clone after allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation in an acute myeloid leukemia patient with del(20q)

Abstract

Del(20q) is the most frequently detected large structural genetic mosaicism alteration in the healthy aging population, occurring in approximately 0.1% of older persons. Age-related clonal hematopoiesis of copy number variations (CNVs) is linked to an increased risk of hematologic malignancies, but the clinical impact of hematopoietic stem cells (HSCs) harboring such CNVs, such as del(20q), is not clearly understood. Here, we report an acute myeloid leukemia (AML) patient with known del(20q) who acquired donor-derived del(20q) after allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT). The HSCs with del(20q) engrafted and expanded over time, but the patient did not clinically progress to myeloid neoplasm. Although donor-derived del(20q) from a healthy donor has been reported previously, our case is the first to review the clonal dynamics of a del(20q) clone and its post-transplantation impact. Since recurrent hematology neoplasm-associated CNVs, including del(20q), may not be rare among aged HSCT donors, identifying the origin of such a CNV is necessary for clinical decisions when clonal abnormality appears after HSCT, even in recipients who previously had the same abnormality.