Cancer-Testis Antigen SSX Gene And Clinical Significancein Childhood With Acute Leukemia

Objective:To search for the expression of SSX1-5gene in peripheral blood mononuclear cells of childhood acute leukemia and healthy controls, to study whether their expression may correlate with treatment and prognostic evaluation to open up the possibility of early immunotherapeutic treatments for childhood acute leukemia.Methods:Reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) technology was used to examine SSX1-5gene mRNA expression levels in peripheral blood mononuclear cells of117cases.45cases are preliminary diagnosis patient;42cases are completely released;30cases with non-malignant diseases and blood system diseases as control group. Combined with SSX1-5mRNA expression in childhood acute leukemia and clinical characteristics (including gender, age, WBC count at diagnosis, FAB classification type, the clinical risk classification, immunology type), complete remission rate, relapse rate were analyzed.Results:(1) DNA sequencing confirmed the positive PCR product for the target gene.(2) Among45preliminary diagnosis patients, SSX1-5mRNA were expressed in60.0%(27/45),11.1%(5/45),31.1%(14/45),8.9%(4/45), was not detected expression of SSX5. About80.0%(36/45),28.9%(13/45),32.2%(1/45) in the preliminary diagnosis group positively expressed at least one, two, and three members of SSX1-5. Among42complete remission patients, SSX1-5mRNA were expressed in66.7%(28/42),16.7%(7/42),26.2%(11/42),4.8%(2/42),2.4%(1/42). About85.7%(36/42),26.2%(11/42),4.8%(2/42) in the completely released group positively expressed at least one, two, and three members of SSX1-5, respectively. Among the control group, SSXland SSX3were expressed in16.7%(5/30),6.7%(2/30), was not detected SSX2,4,5expression.â‘ DSSX1and SSX3expression rates of preliminary diagnosis group and complete remission group were significantly higher than the control group (P<0.05).â‘¡the expression rate of SSX1-5in the preliminary diagnosis group were not significantly higher than the control group (P>0.05).(3) the relationship between the expression rates of SSX1-5in preliminary diagnosis ALL patients and clinical characteristics:the expression rate of SSX1was related with age (P<0.05); the expression rate of SSX2was related with diagnostic white blood cell count (P<0.05); the expression rate of SSX3was related with immunology type (P<0.05), the expression rate of SSX4was related with gender (P<0.05).(4) After a course of chemotherapy, the expression rate of SSX1-5in the preliminary diagnosis group was not related with complete remission (CR) rate (P>0.05), the CR rate was97.8%. The expression rate of SSX3in complete remission group was related with relapse rate (P<0.05).Conclusion:â‘ The expression of SSX1-5in childhood AL are not the same frequency, but the expression rate of SSX1and SSX3higher than other, suggestive the expression of SSX1,3may become the target antigens of immune therapy of childhood AL.â‘¡Examination of SSX1-5mRNA might have clinical significance guiding to assess clinical treatment effect and prognostic evaluation, especially SSX3.