title: Expression of transketolase-like gene 1 (TKTL1) depends on disease phase in patients with chronic myeloid leukaemia (CML).
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Overexpression of transketolase-like gene 1 (TKTL1) on RNA and protein level has been linked to tumour progression, metastasis and unfavourable patient outcome in many solid tumours. Chronic myeloid leukaemia (CML) cells show metabolic characteristics resembling deviations observed in TKTL1 overexpressing solid tumour cells. We therefore sought to evaluate TKTL1 gene expression in different phases of CML.
  
  
  METHODS
  A total of 120 peripheral blood samples from 69 patients in various phases of CML and 21 healthy individuals were investigated. TKTL1 expression levels were determined by real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction using LightCycler technology and normalised against beta-glucuronidase expression.
  
  
  RESULTS
  A significantly lower TKTL1 expression was found in chronic phase (CP) CML patients compared to healthy controls. Lowest expression levels were observed in patients during blast crisis (BC). Baseline TKTL1 expression in CP patients did not have value in prognostication of subsequent favourable or dismal outcome. Further, more mature granulocytes showed significantly higher TKTL1 expression compared to immature CD34+ and CD34-/CD33+ cells both in healthy controls and in CML patients.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  TKTL1 expression levels appear to decline in the course of CML with lowest levels during BC. A potential reason is a shift of TKTL1-high-expressing mature granulocytes towards TKTL1-low-expressing immature cells and blasts.
authors.affiliation: III. Medizinische Universitätsklinik, Wissenschaftliches Labor, Universitätsmedizin Mannheim, Pettenkoferstraße 22, 68169, Mannheim, Germany.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Philipp
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Schwaab
authors.forename: C T
authors.initials: CT
authors.lastname: Dietz
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Hanfstein
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Kalmanti
authors.forename: U
authors.initials: U
authors.lastname: Munjal
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Mossner
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Nowak
authors.forename: W
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Seifarth
authors.forename: W K
authors.initials: WK
authors.lastname: Hofmann
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Hochhaus
authors.forename: M C
authors.initials: MC
authors.lastname: Müller
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Erben
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000970:Antineoplastic Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use; D001549:Benzamides / Q000627:therapeutic use; D015536:Down-Regulation; D005260:Female; D015971:Gene Expression Regulation, Enzymologic; D015973:Gene Expression Regulation, Leukemic; D006098:Granulocytes / Q000201:enzymology*; D006801:Humans; D000068877:Imatinib Mesylate; D015464:Leukemia, Myelogenous, Chronic, BCR-ABL Positive / Q000201:enzymology*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010879:Piperazines / Q000627:therapeutic use; D011237:Predictive Value of Tests; D047428:Protein Kinase Inhibitors / Q000627:therapeutic use; D011743:Pyrimidines / Q000627:therapeutic use; D060888:Real-Time Polymerase Chain Reaction; D014174:Transketolase / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D000970:Antineoplastic Agents; D001549:Benzamides; D010879:Piperazines; D047428:Protein Kinase Inhibitors; D011743:Pyrimidines; D000068877:Imatinib Mesylate; C505431:TKTL1 protein, human; D014174:Transketolase