Immunosurveillance of childhood ALL – Polymorphic Interferon-γ alleles are associated with age at diagnosis and clinical risk groups

In order to answer the question whether a defined CA-repeat in the IFNγ-gene -associated with IFNγ-expression levels- may influence the incidence, manifestation and early clinical treatment response of childhood ALL, we performed PCR-based genotyping of 393 patients with ALL (302 B-lineage, 69 T-lineage, 22 non classified) and 207 healthy controls. We could not find any difference in the allele distribution of ALL patients and controls. However, with respect to age of clinical manifestation, patients with B-lineage ALL showing the IFNγ high-expressing genotype presented at a more advanced age compared to those p…