Expression of the miR-148/152 Family in Acute Myeloid Leukemia and its Clinical Significance

Med Sci Monit. 2017 Oct 5:23:4768-4778. doi: 10.12659/msm.902689.

Abstract

BACKGROUND MicroRNAs (miRNAs) play an important role in the development and progression of acute myeloid leukemia (AML). The miR-148/152 family has been reported to be express differently in various kinds of tumors. We investigated the expression level of the miR-148/152 family in AML patients and their clinical significance. MATERIAL AND METHODS Expression levels of the miR-148/152 family in 80 patients with newly diagnosed AML and 20 healthy participants were analyzed by qRT-PCR. We also evaluated the relationship between the expression levels of the miR-148/152 family and clinicopathological features of AML patients. RESULTS Compared with healthy controls, we found a significant lower expression of downregulated miR-148/152 in AML patients (p<0.0001). The expression of miR148/152 family was associated with various AML clinicopathological risk parameters including FAB classifications, cytogenetics, and gene mutations. The number of patients with high expression levels of miR-148a/b was significantly increased in the low-risk group and significantly decreased in the high-risk group. (p=0.025, p=0.000, respectively). Patients with higher expression of miR-148b showed a higher complete remission (CR) rate (p=0.043). Importantly, higher expression of miR-148a/b was correlated with lower relapse rate (p=0.035, p=0.027, respectively) and showed a longer relapse-free survival (RFS) (p=0.0321, p=0.002, respectively). In the subgroup analysis, RFS was significantly affected by the expression of miR-148a/b in patients the high and the intermediate-risk groups (p=0.0499, p=0.0114, respectively). CONCLUSIONS The expression levels of the miR-148/152 family were lower in patients with AML compared to healthy controls, and were associated with various AML clinicopathological parameters and therapeutic effect. The miR-148/152 family may prove to be a new biomarker for AML.

MeSH terms

  • Adult
  • Aged
  • Biomarkers, Tumor / biosynthesis
  • Biomarkers, Tumor / genetics
  • Bone Marrow Cells / metabolism
  • Bone Marrow Cells / pathology
  • Case-Control Studies
  • Disease Progression
  • Disease-Free Survival
  • Female
  • Humans
  • Leukemia, Myeloid, Acute / blood
  • Leukemia, Myeloid, Acute / genetics*
  • Leukemia, Myeloid, Acute / pathology
  • Male
  • MicroRNAs / biosynthesis*
  • MicroRNAs / blood
  • Middle Aged
  • Neoplasm Recurrence, Local / blood
  • Neoplasm Recurrence, Local / genetics
  • Neoplasm Recurrence, Local / pathology
  • Survival Analysis
  • Young Adult

Substances

  • Biomarkers, Tumor
  • MIRN148 microRNA, human
  • MIRN152 microRNA, human
  • MicroRNAs