title: [GATA-2 gene expression in leukemia patients and its significance].
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To investigate GATA-2 gene expression in leukemia patients and its clinical significance.
  
  
  METHODS
  GATA-2 gene transcripts were detected by reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR), and bcr/abl or PML/RAR alpha transcripts were detected in patients with chronic myeloid leukemia (CML) and acute promyelocytic leukemia (APL), respectively.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The GATA-2 transcripts were revealed in 93% of acute myeloid leukemia (AML), in 70% of acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL), and 83% of CML patients, but not in normal bone marrow and peripheral blood cells. GATA-2 expression in remission patients was similar to newly diagnosed or relapsed patients. In post-transplantation patients, GATA-2 expression was significantly decreased. In these cases GATA-2 transcripts could be detected with bcr/abl fusion gene disappeared in 2 of 12 CML, whereas neither GATA-2 nor PML/RARalpha transcripts could be detected in APL.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  GATA-2 transcripts was highly expressed in leukemia patients and had no change in remission but significantly decreased in post-transplantation patients. Detection of GATA-2 expression would give information about the residual leukemia stem cells.
authors.affiliation: Affiliated Hospital, Academy of Military Medical Sciences, Beijing 100039, China.
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Dong
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.forename: Y
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Lin
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Jia
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Lu
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Pian
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Yao
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Chen
mesh_terms: D001854:Bone Marrow Cells / Q000378:metabolism; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D050989:GATA2 Transcription Factor / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism; D015973:Gene Expression Regulation, Leukemic; D006801:Humans; D007938:Leukemia / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D012008:Recurrence
chemical_list: D050989:GATA2 Transcription Factor