Role of stem cell factor and its receptor in the pathogenesis of pediatric aplastic anemia.
In order to investigate the levels of stem cell factor (SCF) and its receptor c-kit protein and mRNA in pediatric aplastic anemia (AA) and their relevance to the pathogenesis, immunocytochemical and in situ hybridization were utilized to detect the expression of SCF and its receptor c-kit gene protein and mRNA, respectively in 59 children with AA and 51 normal controls. The relationship between SCF and c-kit and the pathogenesis of AA was analyzed subsequently. The results showed that the positive rate of SCF protein and mRNA expression in children with AA was significantly lower than that in healthy controls (P < 0.05). However, there was no significant difference in the positive rate of c-kit protein and mRNA expression between children with AA and control group (P > 0.05). It was concluded that the expression of SCF is significantly decreased in children with AA, which may be closely associated with the pathogenesis of the AA. c-kit may be unrelated to the development of pediatric AA. Therefore, AA in children may have abnormalities at SCF/c-kit signal transduction levels.
Wang
Jun
J
Department of Hematology, Union Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan 430022, China.
Feng
Jianfei
J
Wang
Wei
W
Hu
Yu
Y
Zhao
Xuelian
X
Wang
Hong
H
Zhu
Shaoxian
S
D000293:Adolescent; D000741:Anemia, Aplastic / Q000209:etiology / Q000378:metabolism*; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000235:genetics; D016184:Receptors, Colony-Stimulating Factor / Q000096:biosynthesis* / Q000235:genetics; D019089:Stem Cell Factor / Q000096:biosynthesis* / Q000235:genetics
D012333:RNA, Messenger; D016184:Receptors, Colony-Stimulating Factor; D019089:Stem Cell Factor