title: [Promoter methylation and expression of death-associated protein kinase gene in acute leukemia].
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To study the clinical implications of death-associated protein kinase (DAPK) promoter methylation and DAPK gene expression in untreated patients with acute leukemia.
  
  
  METHODS
  Methylation-specific PCR and RT-PCR were employed to detect the DAPK gene methylation and mRNA expression in the bone marrow of 60 patients with acute myeloid leukemia (AML), 55 patients with acute lymphocytic leukemia (ALL), and 17 normal subjects.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The positivity rate of DAPK methylation was significantly higher in ALL patients (29.1%) than in AML patients group (5%) and normal subjects (0%) (P<0.01). No correlation was found between DAPK gene methylation and the clinical features in ALL patients (P>0.05). DAPK mRNA expression level differed significantly among the 3 groups (P=0.000), and was the highest in normal subjects and the lowest in ALL patients. In ALL patients, the expression level of DAPK mRNA showed a significant inverse correlation with DAPK promoter methylation (P<0.05).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The methylation rate of DAPK gene is higher in untreated ALL patients than in AML patients and normal subjects. DAPK gene methylation is not correlated with the clinical features of ALL patients but is probably related with the low gene expression level of DAPK in these patients.
authors.affiliation: Department of Hematology, First Affiliated Hospital of Guangxi Medical University, Nanning 530021, China.E-mail: zhaowh21@163.com.
authors.forename: Wei-Hua
authors.initials: WH
authors.lastname: Zhao
authors.forename: Fan-Yi
authors.initials: FY
authors.lastname: Meng
authors.forename: Yong-Rong
authors.initials: YR
authors.lastname: Lai
authors.forename: Zhi-Gang
authors.initials: ZG
authors.lastname: Peng
authors.forename: Jie
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Ma
mesh_terms: D016022:Case-Control Studies; D019175:DNA Methylation; D064550:Death-Associated Protein Kinases / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D006801:Humans; D015470:Leukemia, Myeloid, Acute / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D054198:Precursor Cell Lymphoblastic Leukemia-Lymphoma / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D011401:Promoter Regions, Genetic
chemical_list: D064550:Death-Associated Protein Kinases