title: High expression of GTPase regulator associated with the focal adhesion kinase (GRAF) is a favorable prognostic factor in acute myeloid leukemia.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  GRAF is a recognized tumor suppressor gene that was found inactivated in AML. However, the prognostic role of a GRAF transcript has not been studied in patients with AML.
  
  
  METHODS
  In this study, we investigated the expression of the GRAF transcript by real time quantitative PCR in 60 AML patients and 30 healthy age and sex matched controls.
  
  
  RESULTS
  GRAF expression was significantly lower in patients with AML when compared to controls (P=0.008). There were no significant differences in clinical features, FAB subtypes and cytogenetic risk subgroups between patients with high and low GRAF expression levels. Kaplan-Meier analysis showed that patients with high GRAF expression had longer overall survival (OS). Multivariate analysis revealed that, besides WBC count, GRAF expression was also an independent prognostic factor for AML.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  We provide evidence that high GRAF expression is a favorable prognostic marker in patients with AML.
authors.affiliation: Clinical Pathology Department, Faculty of Medicine, Mansoura University, Mansoura, Egypt. Electronic address: rababzeadah@yahoo.com.
authors.forename: Rabab M
authors.initials: RM
authors.lastname: Aly
authors.affiliation: Medical Oncology Unit, Internal Medicine Department, Faculty of Medicine, Mansoura University, Mansoura, Egypt.
authors.forename: Hayam F
authors.initials: HF
authors.lastname: Ghazy
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D000368:Aged; D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor / Q000235:genetics*; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D005260:Female; D020690:GTPase-Activating Proteins / Q000235:genetics*; D015870:Gene Expression; D006801:Humans; D015470:Leukemia, Myeloid, Acute / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000235:genetics* / Q000401:mortality / Q000473:pathology; D007958:Leukocyte Count; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011379:Prognosis; D012737:Sex Factors; D016019:Survival Analysis
chemical_list: C115971:ARHGAP26 protein, human; D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor; D020690:GTPase-Activating Proteins
keywords: AML; Focal adhesion; GRAF; Prognosis