[Study of the correlation between the expression level of asparagine synthetase and the outcome of children with acute lymphocytic leukemia].
OBJECTIVE
To determine whether the high level of asparagine synthetase (AS) expression in childhood acute lymphocytic leukemia (ALL) is associated with an inferior prognosis.


METHODS
AS mRNA level in leukemic cells from 53 newly diagnosed ALL children was measured by real time fluorescent quantitative PCR method. Patients were divided into groups according to their relapse risk and outcome, and the AS expression levels in each group were compared. The survival rates in different AS expressing level groups were estimated and compared.


RESULTS
The highest level of AS [median 17.25 (2.48-46. 82)] was observed in children failed remission, intermediate level [14.28 (3.20-54.47)] in relapsed children and the lowest level [5.08 (0.84-54.92)] in children with continuous complete remission (CCR) (P<0.05). The AS mRNA level [14.93 (2.48-54.47)] in children with poor outcome (un-remission and relapsed) was significantly higher than that in children in CCR (P<0.01). The two-year estimated disease free survival was much lower in children with high AS expression (53.8%) than in those with low AS expression (84.6%) (P<0.05).


CONCLUSIONS
High expression of AS is associated with a poor outcome in ALL children.
Luo
Chang-ying
CY
Department of Hematology & Oncology, Shanghai Children's Medical Center, Shanghai Jiaotong University School of Medicine, Shanghai 200127, China.
Li
Ben-shang
BS
Jiang
Hua
H
Gu
Long-jun
LJ
D000293:Adolescent; D001217:Aspartate-Ammonia Ligase / Q000378:metabolism*; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D008297:Male; D054198:Precursor Cell Lymphoblastic Leukemia-Lymphoma / Q000201:enzymology*; D011379:Prognosis
D001217:Aspartate-Ammonia Ligase