CDH1 (E-cadherin) expression independently affects clinical outcome in acute myeloid leukemia with normal cytogenetics.
BACKGROUND
Epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) is a critical process which involves in tumor metastasis. As an important EMT marker gene, CDH1 (E-cadherin) expression and its clinical implication in acute myeloid leukemia (AML) remain largely elusive.


METHODS
Real-time quantitative PCR (RQ-PCR) was carried out to examine CDH1 transcript level in 123 de novo AML patients and 34 controls.


RESULTS
Compared with controls, CDH1 was significantly downregulated in AML (p<0.001). The median level of CDH1 expression divided total AML patients into CDH1 low-expressed (CDH11ow) and CDH1 high-expressed (CDH1high) groups. There were no significant differences between the two groups in age, peripheral blood cell counts, complete remission (CR) rate, and the distribution of FAB/WHO subtypes as well as karyotypes/karyotypic classifications (p>0.05). However, CDH11ow group tended to have a higher bone marrow (BM) blasts (p=0.093). The spearman correlation analysis further illustrated a trend towards a negative correlation between CDH1 expression level and BM blasts (r=-0.214, p=0.052). CDH1low group had a tendency towards a lower frequency of N/K-RAS mutations (p=0.094). Furthermore, CDH1low patients had markedly shorter overall survival (OS) time in cytogenetic normal AML (CN-AML) (p=0.019). Both univariate and multivariate analyses confirmed the prognostic value of CDH1 expression in CN-AML patients (p=0.027 and 0.033, respectively).


CONCLUSIONS
CDH1 downregulation acted as an independent prognostic biomarker in CN-AML patients.
Ting-Juan
TJ
Zhang
Jing-Dong
JD
Zhou
Ji-Chun
JC
Ma
Zhao-Qun
ZQ
Deng
Zhen
Z
Qian
Dong-Ming
DM
Yao
Jing
J
Yang
Xi-Xi
XX
Li
Jiang
J
Lin
Jun
J
Qian
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D015703:Antigens, CD; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000032:analysis; D015820:Cadherins / Q000235:genetics*; D002648:Child; D020732:Cytogenetic Analysis; D005260:Female; D020869:Gene Expression Profiling; D006801:Humans; D015470:Leukemia, Myeloid, Acute / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000235:genetics*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000235:genetics; D060888:Real-Time Polymerase Chain Reaction; D055815:Young Adult
D015703:Antigens, CD; D015415:Biomarkers; C513384:CDH1 protein, human; D015820:Cadherins; D012333:RNA, Messenger