title: Expression of the anti-apoptotic gene survivin in myelodysplastic syndrome.
abstract: Survivin is a member of the inhibitor of apoptosis protein (IAPs) family and considered to play a pivotal role in oncogenesis. We present the first report of survivin expression profile in myelodysplastic syndrome (MDS). Expression of survivin messenger RNA was evaluated by semi-quantitative reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) in patients with MDS and acute myeloid leukemia (AML). Eleven out of 12 patients with refractory anemia (RA) (91.6%), and all 3 patients with refractory anemia with excess blasts in transformation (RAEBt) (100%), were positive for survivin expression with the majority of cases showing abundant levels of the survivin transcript. On the other hand, expression of survivin was undetectable in the 4 patients with chronic myelomonocytic leukemia (CMMoL). The level and frequency of survivin expression in patients with refractory anemia were compared to those in patients with AML. Out of 12 patients with de novo AML, 5 patients (41.7%) showed detectable levels of survivin expression. Abundant survivin expression in RA was also confirmed by immunohistochemistry. In contrast, survivin was almost absent in two cases with aplastic anemia. We propose that high levels of survivin expression can serve as a reliable diagnostic marker of RA in MDS.
authors.affiliation: First Department of Internal Medicine, Fukui Medical University, Matsuoka, Fukui 910-1193, Japan.
authors.forename: Adel
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Badran
authors.forename: Akira
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Yoshida
authors.forename: Yuji
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Wano
authors.forename: Masato
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Mutoh
authors.forename: Shin
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Imamura
authors.forename: Taro
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Yamashita
authors.forename: Hiroshi
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Tsutani
authors.forename: Manabu
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Inuzuka
authors.forename: Takanori
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Ueda
mesh_terms: D000753:Anemia, Refractory / Q000235:genetics; D000754:Anemia, Refractory, with Excess of Blasts / Q000235:genetics; D017209:Apoptosis; D006801:Humans; D051034:Inhibitor of Apoptosis Proteins; D008869:Microtubule-Associated Proteins / Q000235:genetics*; D009190:Myelodysplastic Syndromes / Q000235:genetics*; D009363:Neoplasm Proteins; D020133:Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction; D000077022:Survivin
chemical_list: C107489:BIRC5 protein, human; D051034:Inhibitor of Apoptosis Proteins; D008869:Microtubule-Associated Proteins; D009363:Neoplasm Proteins; D000077022:Survivin