title: Expression of tumor protein D52-like genes in childhood leukemia at diagnosis: clinical and sample considerations.
abstract: The tumor protein D52 gene or protein is frequently overexpressed in several carcinomas, and has been identified as a B cell differentiation marker. D52-like genes are also differentially expressed in particular haematological malignancies, where transcript or protein levels may reflect cellular proliferative or differentiative status. We used RT-PCR to analyse the expression of three D52-like genes in bone marrow at the time of ALL or AML diagnosis in children. Whereas D53 transcripts were undetectable in all samples, D52 and D54 transcripts were frequently detected in ALL and AML, where they were frequently co-expressed. While D52 and D54 transcripts were detected in T-ALL and pre-B ALL at comparable frequencies, D52 was less frequently detected in ALL bone marrow with hyperdiploid karyotypes, compared with samples with normal karyotypes. We also found that total RNA yields significantly differed according to D52 and D54 expression status, and that bone marrow freezer storage time (up to 945 days) differed significantly according to D52 expression status. These results indicate that D52-like genes are not ubiquitously expressed in leukemic bone marrow in children, and that RNA sample parameters may influence measures of gene expression more than commonly appreciated.
authors.affiliation: Molecular Oncology Laboratory, Oncology Research Unit, The University of Sydney Discipline of Paediatrics and Child Health, The Children's Hospital at Westmead, Locked Bag 4001, Westmead 2145, NSW, Australia.
authors.forename: Draga
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Barbaric
authors.forename: Karen
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Byth
authors.forename: Luciano
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Dalla-Pozza
authors.forename: Jennifer A
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: Byrne
mesh_terms: D000208:Acute Disease; D000293:Adolescent; D045744:Cell Line, Tumor; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D005260:Female; D020869:Gene Expression Profiling; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D007951:Leukemia, Myeloid / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000235:genetics; D008297:Male; D062806:Myelin and Lymphocyte-Associated Proteolipid Proteins; D009363:Neoplasm Proteins / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000235:genetics*; D054198:Precursor Cell Lymphoblastic Leukemia-Lymphoma / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000235:genetics; D011510:Proteolipids / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000235:genetics*; D020133:Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction / Q000379:methods; D014158:Transcription, Genetic / Q000235:genetics; D033921:Vesicular Transport Proteins / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000235:genetics*
chemical_list: C438606:MAL2 protein, human; D062806:Myelin and Lymphocyte-Associated Proteolipid Proteins; D009363:Neoplasm Proteins; D011510:Proteolipids; C114751:TPD52 protein, human; C486416:TPD52L1 protein, human; C486414:TPD52L2 protein, human; D033921:Vesicular Transport Proteins