title: A gene homologous to human endogenous retrovirus overexpressed in childhood acute lymphoblastic leukemia.
abstract: To clarify the mechanism of progression and acquired drug resistance of leukemia, we searched for an overexpressed gene in drug-resistant leukemia cells and identified an approximately 5-kb transcript by using the subtraction method. The nucleotide sequence of the gene was highly homologous to those of human endogenous retrovirus (HERV) transcripts. Reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) revealed that the gene was overexpressed in cells from 6 childhood acute lymphoblastic leukemia patients (60%) but not in bone marrow cells at remission. Peripheral blood mononuclear cells from normal controls (n=11) and bone marrow cells from non-leukemia patients (n=13) did not express the gene. These findings indicate that the gene may play a role in leukemogenesis and may be a novel leukemia marker. Further studies on the functional role of the gene are needed.
authors.affiliation: Division of Pediatrics, Department of Homeostatic Regulation and Development, Niigata, University Graduate School of Medical and Dental Sciences, Niigata, Japan.
authors.forename: Haruko
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Iwabuchi
authors.forename: Toshio
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Kakihara
authors.forename: Takehiro
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Kobayashi
authors.forename: Chihaya
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Imai
authors.forename: Atsushi
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Tanaka
authors.forename: Makoto
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Uchiyama
authors.forename: Takeaki
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Fukuda
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor; D015152:Blotting, Northern; D001854:Bone Marrow Cells / Q000378:metabolism; D045744:Cell Line, Tumor; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003001:Cloning, Molecular; D018076:DNA, Complementary / Q000378:metabolism; D018450:Disease Progression; D020077:Endogenous Retroviruses / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism*; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007963:Leukocytes, Mononuclear / Q000378:metabolism; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction; D054198:Precursor Cell Lymphoblastic Leukemia-Lymphoma / Q000097:blood / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism / Q000821:virology*; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000378:metabolism; D012074:Remission Induction; D020133:Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction; D017422:Sequence Analysis, DNA
chemical_list: D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor; D018076:DNA, Complementary; D012333:RNA, Messenger