Background: Studying DNA methylation changes in the context of structural rearrangements and point mutations as well as gene expression changes enables the identification of genes that are important for disease onset and progression in different subtypes of acute myeloid leukemia (AML) patients. The aim of this study was to identify differentially methylated genes with potential impact on AML pathogenesis based on the correlation of methylation and expression data.
Methods: The primary method of studying DNA methylation changes was targeted bisulfite sequencing capturing approximately 84 megabases (Mb) of the genome in 14 diagnostic AML patients and a healthy donors' CD34+ pool.
Overexpressed Wilms tumor gene 1 (WT1) has been found in a majority of patients with acute myeloid leukemia (AML). The aim of this study was to confirm the applicability of WT1 expression measurement as a marker of minimal residual disease (MRD). The expression of WT1 gene was measured by real-time polymerase chain reaction in peripheral blood (PB) according to European Leukemia Net (ELN) recommendations.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFTo date, approximately one half of acute myeloid leukaemia (AML) patients do not have a suitable specific molecular marker for monitoring minimal residual disease (MRD). The Wilm's tumour gene (WT1) has been suggested as a possible molecular marker of MRD in AML. The expression of WT1 in peripheral blood (PB) was measured using quantitative real-time reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction in peripheral leukocytes from 151 patients with AML at diagnosis.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFWe examined 79 acute myeloid leukemia (AML) patients for DNA methylation of 12 tumor suppressor genes (TSG) and 24 homeobox domain (Hox) genes, and additionally for mutations in DNMT3A gene. We observed lower levels of DNA methylation (P<0.0001) as well as smaller numbers of concurrently hypermethylated genes (P<0.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFEpigenetic 5-azacitidine (AZA) therapy of high-risk myelodysplastic syndromes (MDS) and acute myelogenous leukemia (AML) represents a promising, albeit not fully understood, approach. Hematopoietic transcription factor PU.1 is dynamically regulated by upstream regulatory element (URE), whose deletion causes downregulation of PU.
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