Studies of WT1 gene expression in leukemia patients.
OBJECTIVE
To explore the expression of WT1 gene in leukemia patients and its clinical implications.


METHODS
Expression of WT1 mRNA was detected in two leukemia cell lines (K562 and HL-60), 49 acute leukemia (AL) patients, 33 chronic myeloid leukemia (CML) patients and 25 healthy subjects by reverse trans-criptase-nested polymerase chain reaction (RT-Nested PCR).


RESULTS
WT1 gene was expressed in all subtype of AL including K562 and HL-60 cell lines, 21/29 newly diagnosed and relapsed AL patients, 1/20 complete remission (CR) AL patients, 15/18 CML blastic crisis patients, 1/5 CML patients in accelerated phase, and 1/10 CML patients in chronic phase. WT1 gene was undetectable in 25 healthy subjects. The expression level of WT1 gene was related to the prognosis of AL, patients with relative level >/= 1.0 had lower CR rates and disease-free survival. For CML patients, WT1 gene expression was associated with the clinical phase, it increased with disease progressed.


CONCLUSIONS
WT1 gene expression is associated with pathogenesis of leukemia. It is a prognostic factor and a marker for the detection of minimal residual disease in AL and may used as an indicator for diagnosing CML blastic crisis.
Huang
Zhongxia
Z
Chaoyang Hospital of Capital Medical University, Beijing 100020, China.
Xiao
Bai
B
Chen
Shilun
S
Li
Shulan
S
Liu
Yingmei
Y
Liu
Jingzhong
J
D018572:Disease-Free Survival; D015870:Gene Expression; D018922:HL-60 Cells; D006801:Humans; D018365:Neoplasm, Residual / Q000175:diagnosis; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000235:genetics; D020133:Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction; D025721:WT1 Proteins / Q000235:genetics
D012333:RNA, Messenger; D025721:WT1 Proteins