title: Small nucleolar RNAs as new biomarkers in chronic lymphocytic leukemia.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Small nucleolar RNAs (snoRNAs) and small Cajal body-specific RNAs are non-coding RNAs involved in the maturation of other RNA molecules. Alterations of sno/scaRNA expression may play a role in cancerogenesis. This study elucidates the patterns of sno/scaRNA expression in 211 chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) patients (Binet stage A) also in comparison with those of different normal B-cell subsets.
  
  
  METHODS
  The patterns of sno/scaRNA expression in highly purified CD19+ B-cells of 211 CLL patients and in 18 normal B-cell samples--6 from peripheral blood, and 12 from tonsils (4 germinal center, 2 marginal zone, 3 switched memory and 3 naïve B-cells)--were analyzed on the Affymetrix GeneChip® Human Gene 1.0 ST array.
  
  
  RESULTS
  CLLs display a sno/scaRNAs expression profile similar to normal memory, naïve and marginal-zone B-cells, with the exception of a few down-regulated transcripts (SNORA31, -6, -62, and -71C). Our analyses also suggest some heterogeneity in the pattern of sno/scaRNAs expression which is apparently unrelated to the major biological (ZAP-70 and CD38), molecular (IGHV mutation) and cytogenetic markers. Moreover, we found that SNORA70F was significantly down-regulated in poor prognostic subgroups and this phenomenon was associated with the down-regulation of its host gene COBLL1. Finally, we generated an independent model based on SNORA74A and SNORD116-18 expression, which appears to distinguish two different prognostic CLL groups.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  These data extend the view of sno/scaRNAs deregulation in cancer and may contribute to discover novel biomarkers associated with the disease and potentially useful to predict the clinical outcome of early stage CLL patients.
authors.affiliation: Department of Clinical Sciences and Community Health, University of Milano, Milano, Italy. antonino.neri@unimi.it.
authors.forename: Domenica
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Ronchetti
authors.forename: Laura
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Mosca
authors.forename: Giovanna
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Cutrona
authors.forename: Giacomo
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Tuana
authors.forename: Massimo
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Gentile
authors.forename: Sonia
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Fabris
authors.forename: Luca
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Agnelli
authors.forename: Gabriella
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Ciceri
authors.forename: Serena
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Matis
authors.forename: Carlotta
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Massucco
authors.forename: Monica
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Colombo
authors.forename: Daniele
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Reverberi
authors.forename: Anna Grazia
authors.initials: AG
authors.lastname: Recchia
authors.forename: Sabrina
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Bossio
authors.forename: Massimo
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Negrini
authors.forename: Pierfrancesco
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Tassone
authors.forename: Fortunato
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Morabito
authors.forename: Manlio
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Ferrarini
authors.forename: Antonino
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Neri
mesh_terms: D016175:B-Lymphocyte Subsets / Q000378:metabolism; D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor / Q000235:genetics*; D002467:Cell Nucleus / Q000235:genetics; D020869:Gene Expression Profiling; D006801:Humans; D015451:Leukemia, Lymphocytic, Chronic, B-Cell / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000235:genetics* / Q000473:pathology; D009367:Neoplasm Staging; D011379:Prognosis; D020537:RNA, Small Nucleolar / Q000235:genetics*; D012306:Risk; D014158:Transcription, Genetic
chemical_list: D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor; D020537:RNA, Small Nucleolar