title: Prognostic significance of WT1 gene expression at diagnosis in adult de novo acute myeloid leukemia.
abstract: We examined the presence of WT1-specific mRNA in bone marrow samples of 125 patients with de novo acute myeloid leukemia at diagnosis by two-step RT-PCR. The sensitivity of the assay was 1:100 (first step) and 1:10000 (second step), respectively. WT1-specific mRNA was detected in 73% of patients. No correlation was found between WT1 gene expression and age, FAB type, LDH and karyotype at diagnosis. All patients were treated with standard induction chemotherapy. There was no difference in the CR rate between WT1-positive and -negative patients. Using Kaplan and Meier plot analysis we found no difference in disease-free survival (DFS) and overall survival (OS) between patients displaying the WT1 transcript and WT1-negative patients. Furthermore, no significant interactions between WT1 PCR results and age, FAB type, LDH and karyotype on DFS and OS were demonstrable using Cox regression analysis. Eight patients who were WT1 PCR positive at diagnosis and achieved complete hematological remission following chemotherapy were monitored during the course of the disease. Based on our limited data demonstrating a heterogeneity of WT1 PCR results in CR we cannot draw any conclusions regarding the usefulness of WT1 PCR analysis for the early detection of relapse. We conclude that WT1 gene expression at diagnosis is not associated with specific characteristics of AML blast cells and is not a prognostic factor for CR, remission duration and overall survival in acute myeloid leukemia.
authors.affiliation: First Department of Medicine, University of Vienna, Austria.
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Schmid
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Heinze
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Linnerth
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Tisljar
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Kusec
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Geissler
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Sillaber
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Laczika
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Mitterbauer
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Zöchbauer
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Mannhalter
authors.forename: O A
authors.initials: OA
authors.lastname: Haas
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Lechner
authors.forename: U
authors.initials: U
authors.lastname: Jäger
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Gaiger
mesh_terms: D000208:Acute Disease; D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001853:Bone Marrow / Q000473:pathology; D004268:DNA-Binding Proteins / Q000096:biosynthesis*; D018572:Disease-Free Survival; D005260:Female; D016162:Genes, Wilms Tumor; D006801:Humans; D007621:Karyotyping; D007951:Leukemia, Myeloid / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000235:genetics* / Q000401:mortality / Q000473:pathology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction; D011237:Predictive Value of Tests; D011336:Probability; D011379:Prognosis; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000096:biosynthesis; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D015996:Survival Rate; D013997:Time Factors; D014157:Transcription Factors / Q000096:biosynthesis*; D014158:Transcription, Genetic; D025721:WT1 Proteins
chemical_list: D004268:DNA-Binding Proteins; D012333:RNA, Messenger; D014157:Transcription Factors; D025721:WT1 Proteins