Prospective Quantitative Gene Expression Analysis of Kallikrein-related Peptidase As a Diagnostic Biomarker for Childhood Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia
Overview
Environmental Health
General Medicine
Affiliations
Background: The most common malignancy in children is acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL). This study aimed to explore mRNA expression as a potential diagnostic biomarker for ALL in children and to examine the effect of chemotherapy on mRNA expression following the induction and after three months of receiving chemotherapy.
Methods: In this prospective study, total RNA was extracted from blood samples of 23 pediatric ALL patients on diagnosis, after one month and three months of receiving chemotherapy. Healthy pediatric volunteers ( = 12) were selected as control individuals. After cDNA synthesis, mRNA gene expression levels were quantified using quantitative real-time PCR (qRT-PCR).
Results: mRNA expression levels were significantly decreased in leukemic cells compared to their levels in cells of normal blood samples ( = 0.0001). expression levels in ALL patients after one month and three months of receiving chemotherapy decreased compared to normal blood samples ( < 0.0001 and = 0.0175 respectively). The expression level of mRNA in ALL patients after one month of chemotherapy was decreased compared to their level on diagnosis ( = 0.4413). mRNA expression levels in ALL patients after three months of chemotherapy were increased compared to their level on diagnosis ( = 0.0602). The ROC curve illustrated that mRNA expression could very efficiently discriminate ALL patients from normal counterparts (AUC=0.886, 95% CI [0.7720-1.000], SE = 0.0582, = 0.0004).
Conclusion: mRNA expression could serve as a potential diagnostic molecular biomarker for ALL in children.