Expression Of KLF4 In Acute Myeloid Leukemia And Its Potential Clinical Significance

Objectives To detect the expression of KLF4 in patients with acute myeloid leukemia (AML) and analyze its potential clinical significance.Methods Real—time fluorescence quantitative reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT—PCR)was used to examine KLF4 expression in bone marrow mononuclear cells (BMMC) of 87cases of AML including 39 cases in acute phase,40 cases in remission phase.8 cases in relapse phase ,15 healthy controls.Then,flow cytometry,bone marrow smear and automated hematology analyzer were used to analyze the relationship between the KLF4 expression and blast cell counts in the bone marrow,peripheral white blood cell (WBC) counts,CD34 in blast cells,cytogenetic aberrations。Results The 1evel of KLF4 expression in patients with AML in acute phase(0.434±0.261),in remission phase (0.662±0.395)and that in relapse phase (0.196±0.136)were lower than that in healthy control (1.211±0.277) P < 0.01 , respectively.In groups of high BMMC and abnormal CD34% ,expression of KLF4 were lower than that in groups of normal counts P<0.01. Moreover, a significant difference in KLF4 gene expression was obtained between the high risk group and the low-intermediate risk group (0.272±0.191 versus 0.562±0.323), P<0.01. In addition, a relationship between KLF4 expression of initial white blood cell (WBC) was clearly demonstrated by a statistical analysis. Conclusions The expression of KLF4 gene is decreased in AML patients but restored in AML CR cases.and there is statistical difference between benign and CR.Our results indicate that AML may be correlated with down—regulation or loss of KLF4 expression.KLF4 gene might be used as a marker for diagnosis and target of therapy in myeloblastic leukemia.