Biomedical Research

Objective: To investigate the expression of NDRG1 gene in marrow mononuclear cells of children with Acute Leukemia (AL) and its clinical significance.

Methods: The expression level of NDRG1 mRNA at different stages was detected by RT-PCR in a total of 60 children with AL with another 20 children with Idiopathic Thrombocytopenic Purpura (ITP) enrolled as control group.

Results: The positive expression rate of NDRG1 in 60 children with AL was 66.7% (40/60), in which it was highest in children with AML (88.2%) (AML group), significantly higher than that in children with ALL (38.5%) (ALL group) and in control group (10%) (P<0.05) with no statistically significant difference found between the latter two (P>0.05). The expression of NDRG1 mRNA in AML group was significantly higher than that in ALL group and control group. NDRG1 had varying expression in AML children of different types and the relative expression level of mRNA was successively M5>M4>M1 and/or M2, but no expression was found in type M3. NDRG1 had moderately high positive expression in high-risk children with AML. In AML patients the positive expression rate of NDRG1 mRNA level of the children with diagnosed disease but given no treatment (initial group) were significantly higher than in those with remission (remission group) and control group, with no statistically significant difference found between the latter two; the expression of NDRG1 in children with no remission (non-remission group) was significantly higher than that in remission group and control group.

Conclusion: The high expression of NDRG1 is related to occurrence of AL and children with AML have obviously higher expression level of NDRG1 than children with ALL. It is associated with the risk of leukemia and suggests poor prognosis. Therefore, NDRG1 gene may be a target for AL diagnosis, treatment and prognosis in children.

Author(s): Jiayi Liao, Tao Zhang, Li Yu, Lina Wang, Yao Zhang, Guosheng Liu
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