Peptide nucleic acid probe-based fluorescence melting curve analysis for rapid screening of common JAK2, MPL, and CALR mutations

Background We developed and evaluated the feasibility of peptide nucleic acid (PNA)-based fluorescence melting curve analysis (FMCA) to detect common mutations in myeloproliferative neoplasms (MPNs). Methods We have set up two separate reactions of PNA-based FMCA: JAK2 V617F & CALR p.Leu367fs*46 (set A) and MPL W515L/K & CALR p.Lys385fs*47 (set B). Clinical usefulness was validated with allele-specific real-time PCR, fragment analysis, Sanger sequencing in 57 BCR-ABL1-negative MPNs. Results The limit of detection (LOD) of PNA-based FMCA was approximately 10% for each mutation and interference reactions using mixtures of different mutations were not observed. Non-specific amplification was not observed in normal control. PNA-based FMCA was able to detect all JAK2 V617F (n = 20), CALR p.Leu367fs*46 (n = 10) and p.Lys385fs*47 (n = 8). Three of six MPL mutations were detected except three samples with low mutant concentration in out of LOD. JAK2 exon 12 mutations (n = 7) were negative without influencing V617F results. Among six variant CALR exon 9 mutations, two were detected by this method owing to invading of probe binding site. Conclusions PNA-based FMCA for detecting common JAK2, MPL, and CALR mutations is a rapid, simple, and sensitive technique in BCR-ABL1-negative MPNs with > 10% mutant allele at the time of initial diagnosis.