title: The role of Pax5 in leukemia: diagnosis and prognosis significance.
abstract: Pax5 transcription factor, also known as B-cell specific activator protein (BSAP), plays a dual role in the hematopoietic system. Pax5 expression is essential in B-cell precursors for normal differentiation and maturation of B-cells. On the other hand, it inhibits the differentiation and progress toward other lineages. The expression of this factor is involved in several aspects of B-cell differentiation, including commitment, immunoglobulin gene rearrangement, BCR signal transduction and B-cell survival, so that the deletion or inactivating mutations of Pax5 cause cell arrest in Pro-B-cell stage. In recent years, point mutations, deletions and various rearrangements in Pax5 gene have been reported in several types of human cancers. However, no clear relationship has been found between these aberrations and disease prognosis. Specific expression of Pax5 in B-cells can raise it as a marker for the diagnosis and differentiation of B-cell leukemias and lymphomas as well as account for remission or relapse. Extensive studies on Pax5 along with other genes and immunomarkers are necessary for decisive results in this regard.
authors.affiliation: Department of Hematology and Blood Banking, Faculty of Medical Sciences, Tarbiat Modares University, Tehran, Iran.
authors.forename: Mohammad
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Shahjahani
authors.forename: Fatemeh
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Norozi
authors.forename: Ahmad
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Ahmadzadeh
authors.forename: Saeid
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Shahrabi
authors.forename: Farzaneh
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Tavakoli
authors.forename: Ali Amin
authors.initials: AA
authors.lastname: Asnafi
authors.forename: Najmaldin
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Saki
mesh_terms: D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor / Q000032:analysis*; D006801:Humans; D007938:Leukemia / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000401:mortality; D051757:PAX5 Transcription Factor / Q000096:biosynthesis*; D011379:Prognosis
chemical_list: D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor; D051757:PAX5 Transcription Factor; C497281:PAX5 protein, human