IDENTIFICATION OF NOVEL GENES WITH PROGNOSTIC VALUE IN CHILDHOOD LEUKEMIA USING cDNA MICROARRAY AND QUANTITATIVE RT-PCR

Abstract

The aim of this study was to identify genes distinctively expressed or suppressed in childhood leukemia with different prognoses, using cDNA microarray and quantitative reverse transcription–polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR). The expression levels of the selected genes by cDNA microarray were quantified in primary leukemic blasts from 44 patients (acute lymphoblastic leukemia, 28; acute myelogenous leukemia (AML), 13; transient myeloproliferative disorder, 3). The expression levels of CDKN2C, CRADD, and IGFBP-2 genes were significantly associated with the event-free survival of the patients in AML. The present results suggest that a combination of cDNA microarray and quantitative RT-PCR may be useful to identify novel genes with prognostic value in childhood AML.

Keywords:

• CASP2 and RIPK1 domain containing adaptor with death domain (CRADD)
• cDNA microarray
• cyclin-dependent kinase inhibitor (CDKN2C)
• insulin-like growth factor binding protein 2 (IGFBP-2)
• prognostic marker
• quantitative RT-PCR