[Evolution of gene expression profile in 3 cases of acute myeloid leukemia].

Objective: To investigate the mechanism of refractoriness of acute myeloid leukemia (AML) by studying the changes of gene mRNA expression from primary diagnosis to relapsed disease in AML.

Methods: Differences in gene expression profile of bone marrow mononuclear cells were compared between primary diagnosis and relapsed/refractory disease in 3 patients with M(2a) subtype of AML using Agilent human 1B 60mer oligonucleotide microarray.

Results: Common alterations were found in 10 genes among the 20173 genes tested at relapsed/refractory disease as compared with that at primary diagnosis in 3 patients. Of these 10 genes, 7 were up-regulated while 3 down-regulated at relapse in all the 3 patients.

Conclusion: Development of relapsed/refractory disease in AML-M(2a) might be associated with the mRNA expression changes in the 10 genes tested including DAPK1. The alteration of these genes may be indications for the early diagnosis of refractoriness of AML, and these genes might provide new therapeutic targets for the treatment of refractory AML.