Relationships between AML1-ETO and MLL-AF9 fusion gene expressions and hematological parameters in acute myeloid leukemia.

Background: Acute myeloid leukemia (AML) is a malignant disease of the myeloid line that caused by several chromosomal aberrations that include AML1 -ETO and MLL-AF9. In the current study, the correlations of fusion gene quantitative RT-PCR and hematological parameters in patients with AML were examined to determine their prognostic value in clinical practice.

Methodology: This study was conducted at Alzaeim Alazhari University, Khartoum, Sudan. A total of 82 patients with AML (51 AML1-ETO and 31 MLL-AF9) were participated in the study. Quantitative RT-PCR was used to determine types of fusion genes Results: The expression of MLL-AF9 was significantly higher than that for AML1-ETO (P < 0.01). In addition, with respect to FAB classification M2/M3 types were dominated in patients with AML1-ETO gene fusion, whereas M4/M5 types were dominated in MLL-AF9 subjects (P < 0.01). Finally, neither AML1-ETO nor MLL-AF9 quantitative RT-PCR gene expressions were correlated with the examined hematological parameters including: hemoglobin, total white blood count, platelets and blast cells (P > 0.05).

Conclusions: Significant variations in AML1-ETO and MLL-AF9 expression were observed in AML. No correlations between the expression of fusion genes and hematological parameters were detected.