title: GTPase regulator associated with the focal adhesion kinase (GRAF) transcript was down-regulated in patients with myeloid malignancies.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  GTPase regulator associated with the focal adhesion kinase (GRAF), a putative tumor suppressor gene, is found inactivated in hematopoietic malignancies by either genetic or epigenetic abnormalities. However, the expression level of GRAF gene has not yet been studied in leukemia. The aim of this study was to investigate the expression level of GRAF gene in those patients with myeloid malignancies including acute myeloid leukemia (AML), myelodysplastic syndrome (MDS) and chronic myeloid leukemia (CML).
  
  
  METHODS
  The expression levels of GRAF transcript were determined in 94 patients using real-time quantitative PCR (RQ-PCR). Clinical and laboratory data of these patients were collected and analyzed.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The significantly decreased level of GRAF transcript was observed in three myeloid malignancies compared to controls. Within AML, there was no difference in the level of GRAF transcript among different FAB subtypes (P > 0.05). Difference was not observed in the amount of GRAF mRNA between CML at chronic phase and controls. As CML progressed, GRAF transcript significantly decreased. In MDS, three cases with 5q deletion had lower GRAF transcript than four without 5q deletion (median 0.76 vs 2.99) (P > 0.05).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  our results demonstrate that the GRAF transcript is decreased in myeloid malignancies.
authors: Department of Hematology, Affiliated People's Hospital of Jiangsu University, Zhenjiang, Jiangsu 212002, China. qianjun0007@hotmail.com
authors: Zhen
authors: Z
authors: Qian
authors: Jun
authors: J
authors: Qian
authors: Jiang
authors: J
authors: Lin
authors: Dong-ming
authors: DM
authors: Yao
authors: Qin
authors: Q
authors: Chen
authors: Run-bi
authors: RB
authors: Ji
authors: Yun
authors: Y
authors: Li
authors: Gao-fei
authors: GF
authors: Xiao
authors: Jian-yong
authors: JY
authors: Li
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D002869:Chromosome Aberrations; D020732:Cytogenetic Analysis; D015536:Down-Regulation; D005260:Female; D020690:GTPase-Activating Proteins / Q000235:genetics*; D006801:Humans; D016130:Immunophenotyping; D015464:Leukemia, Myelogenous, Chronic, BCR-ABL Positive / Q000235:genetics* / Q000473:pathology; D015470:Leukemia, Myeloid, Acute / Q000235:genetics* / Q000473:pathology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009190:Myelodysplastic Syndromes / Q000235:genetics* / Q000473:pathology; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000235:genetics; D020133:Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: C115971:ARHGAP26 protein, human; D020690:GTPase-Activating Proteins; D012333:RNA, Messenger