title: Increased expression of HERG K+channels contributes to myelodysplastic syndrome progression and displays correlation with prognosis stratification.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Human ether-a-go-go-related gene (HERG) K+channels are shown to be aberrantly expressed in a variety of cancer cells where they play roles in contributing to cancer progression. Myelodysplastic syndromes (MDS) are a group of clinical heterogeneous disorders characterized by bone marrow failure and dysplasia of blood cells. However, the involvement of HERG K+channels in MDS development is poorly understood.
  
  
  METHODS
  The expression of HERG K+channels in untreated MDS, acute myeloid leukemia (AML) patients and the control group was detected by flow cytometry. The roles of HERG K+channels in regulation of SKM-1 cell proliferation, apoptosis, and cell cycle were determined by CCK-8 assay and flow cytometry, respectively.
  
  
  RESULTS
  We found that expression of HERG K+channels in MDS patients was significantly higher than controls and was lower than AML. Percentage of HERG K+channels on CD34+CD38- cells gradually increased from controls to high-grade MDS subtypes. And HERG K+channel levels showed an ascending tendency from low-risk to high-risk MDS group. In addition, the CCK-8 assay, apoptosis and cell cycle analysis were performed and showed that blockage of HERG K+channels decreased the proliferation of MDS cells but rarely had effects on cell apoptosis and cell cycle distribution.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Our study demonstrated that HERG K+channels might be a potential tumor marker of MDS. These channels were likely to contribute to MDS progression and were helpful for predicting prognosis of MDS. Inhibition of HERG K+channels might be a novel therapeutic measure for MDS.
authors.affiliation: a Union Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology , Wuhan , China.
authors.forename: Li
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Lu
authors.affiliation: a Union Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology , Wuhan , China.
authors.forename: Wen
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Du
authors.affiliation: a Union Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology , Wuhan , China.
authors.forename: Wei
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.affiliation: a Union Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology , Wuhan , China.
authors.forename: Dongmei
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Guo
authors.affiliation: a Union Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology , Wuhan , China.
authors.forename: Xiaoqi
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: He
authors.affiliation: a Union Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology , Wuhan , China.
authors.forename: Huiyu
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Li
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D017209:Apoptosis / Q000502:physiology; D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000235:genetics; D002453:Cell Cycle / Q000502:physiology; D049109:Cell Proliferation / Q000502:physiology; D002648:Child; D000072237:ERG1 Potassium Channel / Q000096:biosynthesis* / Q000235:genetics; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D015470:Leukemia, Myeloid, Acute / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009190:Myelodysplastic Syndromes / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology; D011379:Prognosis; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor; D000072237:ERG1 Potassium Channel; C000606913:KCNH2 protein, human
keywords: CD34+CD38− cells; HERG K+ channels; Myelodysplastic syndromes; Tumor marker