Survivin expression in the progression of chronic myeloid leukemia: a sequential study in 16 patients.
An increase in the proliferation and resistance to apoptosis of leukemic cells has been found in chronic myeloid leukemia (CML) as the disease evolves from the chronic phase to blast crisis (BC). To contribute to a better knowledge of the molecular mechanisms involved in such biological abnormality, the expression of the survivin gene was studied by quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (PCR) in the chronic phase of CML and at BC in 16 patients in whom sequential RNA samples from the 2 phases of the disease were available. Survivin was significantly overexpressed in both the chronic phase and BC as compared with granulocytes from controls. In BC, survivin expression was 7-fold higher than in the chronic phase, with such an increase being more pronounced in the myeloid (17-fold) than in the lymphoid cases (3-fold) (P = 0.03). Cell proliferation was significantly increased at BC, with Ki-67 expression being 2.8-fold higher than in the chronic phase. Despite the overexpression of both survivin and Ki-67 at BC, no significant correlation between their expression levels was observed. These data support a possible role for survivin overexpression in the pathogenesis of the progression of CML. However, further studies are required to elucidate the possible prognostic importance of such biological findings in this disease.
Hernández-Boluda
Juan-Carlos
JC
Hematology Department, Institute of Hematology and Oncology, Hospital Clínic, IDIBAPS, University of Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain.
Bellosillo
Beatriz
B
Vela
Mari-Carmen
MC
Colomer
Dolors
D
Alvarez-Larrán
Alberto
A
Cervantes
Francisco
F
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D017209:Apoptosis / Q000502:physiology; D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor / Q000096:biosynthesis* / Q000235:genetics; D048708:Cell Growth Processes / Q000502:physiology; D018450:Disease Progression; D005260:Female; D015870:Gene Expression; D006801:Humans; D051034:Inhibitor of Apoptosis Proteins; D015464:Leukemia, Myelogenous, Chronic, BCR-ABL Positive / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology; D008297:Male; D008869:Microtubule-Associated Proteins / Q000096:biosynthesis* / Q000235:genetics; D008875:Middle Aged; D009363:Neoplasm Proteins / Q000096:biosynthesis* / Q000235:genetics; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000235:genetics; D020133:Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction; D000077022:Survivin
C107489:BIRC5 protein, human; D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor; D051034:Inhibitor of Apoptosis Proteins; D008869:Microtubule-Associated Proteins; D009363:Neoplasm Proteins; D012333:RNA, Messenger; D000077022:Survivin