[Wilms' tumor-1 gene expression in myelodysplastic syndrome and its changes in the process of myelodysplastic syndrome transforming into acute leukemia].
OBJECTIVE
To observe expression of Wilms' tumor-1 (WT1) gene in the different subtypes of myelodysplastic syndrome (MDS), and to explore the regularity of expression of WT1 gene in the process of MDS transforming into acute leukemia (AL).


METHODS
The method of reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) was used, the levels of WT1 gene's presentation in different types of montagers of MDS were analyzed, and the relationship between the level and the clinical characteristic was analyzed. At the same time, the expression of WT1 gene in AL patients, post-MDS-AL patients and normal controls were examined.


RESULTS
The positive rate of WT1 gene expression in 49 patients with MDS was 22.4 percent (11/49), refractory anemia (RA) was 0(0/13), RA with excess of blast (RAEB) was 25.0 percent (6/24); RAEB in transformation (RAEB-t) was 41.7 percent (5/12). The positive rates of WT1 expression were gradually increased in three types of MDS (P<0.05 and P<0.01). The positive rates of WT1 expression were higher in AL and post-MDS-AL patients (48.5 percent, 32/66 and 50.0 percent, 4/8) than that in MDS patients (P<0.01). There was no expression of WT1 gene in normal control.


CONCLUSIONS
There is a relatively high expression rate of WT1 gene in RAEB, RAEB-t of MDS, but relatively low expression rate in RA. The method of RT-PCR, is high sensitiveness and specificity, can trustful be used in the progression of monitoring MDS' progression and its transformation into AL.
Yang
Jie-kun
JK
Tianjin First Central Hospital, Tianjin 300192, China.
Li
Jing-lan
JL
Li
Zeng-gang
ZG
Li
Zhi-Gang
ZG
Liu
Peng-jiang
PJ
Li
Jing-yi
JY
Lü
Hai-rong
HR
Deng
Qi
Q
Lin
Xue-mei
XM
Cao
Jin-ni
JN
D000208:Acute Disease; D000328:Adult; D000754:Anemia, Refractory, with Excess of Blasts / Q000235:genetics; D005260:Female; D015870:Gene Expression; D006801:Humans; D007938:Leukemia / Q000209:etiology*; D008297:Male; D009190:Myelodysplastic Syndromes / Q000150:complications / Q000235:genetics*; D020133:Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction; D025721:WT1 Proteins / Q000235:genetics*
D025721:WT1 Proteins