The expression analysis of CEBPA and CEBPA-AS genes in acute myeloid leukemia

Introduction: Acute myeloid leukemia (AML) represents a group of myeloid malignancies with remarkably heterogeneous outcomes that genetic alterations such as chromosomal abnormalities and molecular mutations play a fundamental role in its pathogenicity. In recent years, many studies suggest that gene expression alterations involved in development of malignancies. CEBPA is expressed in myeloid precursors during normal hematopoiesis and dysregulation of the CEBPA have been reported in AML patients. Furthermore, the expression of CEBPA-AS gene has not investigated in AML patients so far. Our objective was to evaluate the expression of CEBPA and CEBPA-AS in Iranian de novo AML patients.Methods: Quantitative real-time PCR were used to investigate the expression of the CEBPA and CEBPA-AS genes in peripheral blood samples from 58 patients with de novo adult AML and 20 healthy controls.Results: Totally, the level of CEBPA was found significantly upregulated in AML patients compared with healthy controls. Moreover, significant CEBPA over-expression detected in M0 (p-value=0.0001), M3 (p-value=0.012) and M4 (p-value=0.000) subtype. Our data demonstrated that CEBPA expression is increased in good (p-value=0.006) and poor (p-value=0.042) cytogenetic risk groups. Additionally, the expression of CEBPA was significantly elevated in AML subjects with abnormal karyotype. Interestingly, we found ectopic expression of CEBPA-AS in seven AML subjects for the first time.Conclusion: We showed the increased expression of CEBPA and ectopic expression of CEBPA-AS in adult de-novo AML patients. Taken together, the CEBPA and CEBPA-AS genes might be a novel potent therapeutic target for AML.

Keywords:

Expression , CEBPA , CEBPA-AS , de novo , Acute Myeloid Leukemia