title: [Expression of Wif-1 and β-catenin in the Wnt pathway in childhood acute lympho-blastic leukemia].
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To investigate the expression and possible roles of Wnt inhibitory factor-1 (Wif-1) and β-catenin in the Wnt pathway in childhood acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL).
  
  
  METHODS
  The clinical data of 35 children who had newly-diagnosed ALL and achieved complete remission on day 33 of remission induction therapy were retrospectively reviewed. The children before treatment were considered as the incipient group, and those who achieved complete remission on day 33 were considered as the remission group. Fifteen children with non-malignant hematologic diseases were enrolled as the control group. RT-PCR was used to measure the mRNA expression of Wif-1 and β-catenin. ELISA was used to measure the protein expression of Wif-1.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Compared with the control and remission groups, the incipient group had significantly lower mRNA and protein expression of Wif-1 and significantly higher mRNA expression of β-catenin (P<0.05). In the incipient and remission groups, high-risk children showed significantly higher mRNA expression of β-catenin and significantly lower mRNA and protein expression of Wif-1 than the medium- and low-risk children (P<0.05). In the incipient and remission group, the children with T-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia showed significantly higher mRNA expression of β-catenin and significantly lower mRNA and protein expression of Wif-1 compared with those with B-lineage acute lymphoblastic leukemia (P<0.05). In each group, there was a negative correlation between the mRNA expression of Wif-1 and β-catenin (P<0.05).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Reduced expression of Wif-1 and increased expression of β-catenin may be involved in the pathogenesis of childhood ALL, and the degree of reduction in Wif-1 and/or increase in β-catenin may be related to prognosis.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatric Hematology and Oncology, Affiliated Hospital of Xuzhou Medical University, Xuzhou, Jiangsu 221002, China. 843160320@qq.com.
authors.forename: Ji-Zhao
authors.initials: JZ
authors.lastname: Gao
authors.forename: Ji-Ou
authors.initials: JO
authors.lastname: Zhao
authors.forename: Ying
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Tan
mesh_terms: D048868:Adaptor Proteins, Signal Transducing / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology*; D000293:Adolescent; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D008297:Male; D054198:Precursor Cell Lymphoblastic Leukemia-Lymphoma / Q000209:etiology* / Q000503:physiopathology; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000032:analysis; D012097:Repressor Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology*; D060449:Wnt Signaling Pathway / Q000502:physiology*; D051176:beta Catenin / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology*
chemical_list: D048868:Adaptor Proteins, Signal Transducing; C495270:CTNNB1 protein, human; D012333:RNA, Messenger; D012097:Repressor Proteins; C485569:WIF1 protein, human; D051176:beta Catenin