Expression and prognostic significance of the apoptotic genes BCL2L13, Livin, and CASP8AP2 in childhood acute lymphoblastic leukemia
Received 15 January 2009; received in revised form 12 July 2009; accepted 14 July 2009.
Abstract
Improved treatment of childhood acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) depends on the identification of new molecular markers that are able to predict treatment response and clinical outcome. The development of impaired apoptosis in leukemic cells is one factor that may influence their response to treatment. We investigated the expression of three apoptosis related genes, BCL2L13, CASP8AP2, and Livin, as well as their prognostic significance, in a retrospective study of 90 pediatric ALL patients diagnosed between 1996 and 2007 in Taiwan. Univariant analysis revealed that high expression of BCL2L13 was associated with inferior event-free survival and overall survival (p<0.001 and 0.005, respectively). Multivariate analysis for EFS and OS demonstrated that high expression of BCL2L13 was an independent prognostic factor for childhood ALL in this ethnic group.
aDepartment of Laboratory Medicine, College of Medicine, National Taiwan University, Taipei, Taiwan
bDepartment of Pediatrics, College of Medicine, National Taiwan University, Taipei, Taiwan
cDepartment of Bioscience Technology, College of Science, Chung-Yuan Christian University, Taoyuan, Taiwan
dDepartment of Internal Medicine, College of Medicine, National Taiwan University, Taipei, Taiwan
eDepartment of Medical Research, College of Medicine, National Taiwan University, Taipei, Taiwan
fNational Taiwan University Hospital, Department of Clinical Laboratory Sciences and Medical Biotechnology, College of Medicine, National Taiwan University, Taipei, Taiwan
gNTU Center for Genomic Medicine, College of Medicine, National Taiwan University, Taipei, Taiwan
hInstitute of Statistical Science Academia Sinica, Taiwan
iTaiwan Childhood Cancer Foundation, Taipei, Taiwan
jDepartment of Pediatrics, National Cheng Kung University Hospital, Tainan, Taiwan
Corresponding author at: Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pediatrics, National Taiwan University Hospital, College of Medicine, National Taiwan University, No. 7 Chung-San S. Rd., Sec. 1, Taipei 100, Taiwan. Tel.: +886 2 23123456x65399; fax: +886 2 23224263.
ABSTRACT