title: Significance of BAFF/APRIL Expression and Their Receptors in Pediatric Patients With Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia.
abstract: In this study, we investigated the mRNA expression and protein levels of B-cell activating factor (BAFF)/a proliferation-inducing ligand (APRIL) and their receptors in acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) cell lines and pediatric patients with ALL using real-time polymerase chain reaction, enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay, and Western blotting. The location and level of the BAFF/APRIL proteins in ALL cell lines were also detected by immunofluorescence cytochemistry and flow cytometry. Correlations between plasma protein levels of BAFF/APRIL and primary clinical parameters were analyzed. We found that BAFF/APRIL was highly expressed in pediatric ALL patients and ALL cell lines. The BAFF/APRIL proteins were located on the cell membrane, and the proportion of positive cells and mean fluorescence intensity were significantly higher than in the healthy control group (P<0.05). The mRNA expression and protein levels of BAFF/APRIL and their receptors in untreated ALL children were significantly higher than in healthy controls (P<0.05) as well as were significantly reduced in the remission group (P<0.05). The plasma protein levels of BAFF/APRIL were positively correlated with the white blood cell count, lactate dehydrogenase, and serum ferritin. Abnormal levels of BAFF/APRIL in pediatric ALL suggest that BAFF/APRIL are associated with the development and progression of ALL in children and may provide information for the development of BAFF-based and APRIL-based targeted therapies.
authors.affiliation: *Department of Pediatrics ‡Laboratory Medicine Center, Affiliated Hospital of Nantong University †Department of Laboratory, Tongzhou Sixth People's Hospital, Nantong, Jiangsu, P.R. China.
authors.forename: Baolan
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Sun
authors.forename: Lin
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Li
authors.forename: Meiyu
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Xu
authors.forename: Xudong
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Feng
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Hongbing
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Ni
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D053264:B-Cell Activating Factor / Q000032:analysis / Q000096:biosynthesis*; D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor / Q000032:analysis*; D015153:Blotting, Western; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D004797:Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay; D005260:Female; D005434:Flow Cytometry; D005455:Fluorescent Antibody Technique; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D054198:Precursor Cell Lymphoblastic Leukemia-Lymphoma / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology*; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000032:analysis; D060888:Real-Time Polymerase Chain Reaction; D053300:Tumor Necrosis Factor Ligand Superfamily Member 13 / Q000032:analysis / Q000096:biosynthesis*
chemical_list: D053264:B-Cell Activating Factor; D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor; D012333:RNA, Messenger; C114631:TNFSF13 protein, human; C505719:TNFSF13B protein, human; D053300:Tumor Necrosis Factor Ligand Superfamily Member 13