Downregulation of IRAIN long non-coding RNA predicts unfavourable clinical outcome in acute myeloid leukaemia patients

Abstract

Background

Although it has been shown that the long non-coding RNA (lncRNA) insulin-like growth factor type 1 receptor (IGF1R) antisense imprinted non-protein coding RNA (IRAIN) is downregulated in leukaemia cell lines, its usefulness as a prognostic marker in acute myeloid leukaemia (AML) has not yet been thoroughly investigated. Here, we sought to determine whether the expression of IRAIN is associated with clinical outcome of AML patients.

Subjects & Methods

Using quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR), IRAIN expression levels were assessed in peripheral blood leukocyte samples from 150 patients with AML and 50 healthy controls. Analysis was done on the relationship between IRAIN expression and clinical outcomes in AML patients.

Results

When compared to healthy controls, IRAIN expression was markedly reduced in AML patients (P = 0.019). IRAIN expression could distinguish French-American-British (FAB) subtypes of AML (P = 0.024). Low IRAIN expression status was associated with shorter event-free survival (EFS) in the non-t(15;17) cytogenetically abnormal AML subset (P = 0.004). IRAIN downregulation was identified as an independent adverse prognostic marker for complete remission (CR) not only in the in the non-t(15;17) cytogenetically abnormal AML subset (P = 0.006) but also in the AML-M4/M5 subgroup (P = 0.033).

Conclusion

Aberrantly low IRAIN expression is closely associated with lower CR rates in AML patients, particularly in non-t(15;17) cytogenetically abnormal AML and M4/M5 AML, suggesting that the determination of IRAIN expression level at diagnosis provides valuable prognostic information, serves as a promising biomarker for evaluating treatment response, and helps predicting clinical outcome of AML patients.

Keywords:

• Acute myeloid leukaemia
• insulin-like growth factor type 1 receptor
• IGF1R antisense imprinted non‑protein coding RNA
• long non-coding RNAs
• prognostic markers

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.

Ethical approval

All study protocols were in accordance with the 1964 Helsinki declaration and its later amendments, and approved by the review board of National Cancer Institute, Cairo University.

Funding

This research did not receive any specific grant from funding agencies in the public, commercial, or not-for-profit sectors.

Informed consent

Informed consent was obtained from all individual participants included in the study.

Data availability statement

All data generated or analysed during this study are included in this article.