Gene expression profiling in chronic myeloid leukemia patients treated with hydroxyurea

Using array technology that allows the simultaneous detection of gene expression of hundreds of genes, four patients with chronic myeloid leukemia (CML) were investigated at diagnosis and after starting administration of hydroxyurea. To detect the gene expression of peripheral blood mononuclears and granulocytes Human Cancer cDNA Array (CLONTECH) with 588 gene probes was used. Gene expression mononuclear and granulocyte profiles of patients at diagnosis were compared with the control profiles. The significant expression changes observed in most patients seemed to be important. Increased expression of c-jun N-terminal kinase 2 (JNK2), integrin alpha E, MMP-8, MMP-9 was detected in both fractions of most patients. In some samples PCNA, HDGF, MAPK p38, CD59 increased expressions were found. Significant down-regulation of expression in patients was detected in genes CDK4 inhibitor A, PURA, notch1 in mononuclears; STAT2, STAT5, RAR-alpha, MCL-1, junB, caspase 4 in granulocytes; CDK6, GADD153, ERBB-3, cadherin 5 in both fractions. Expression profiles detected in patients at diagnosis did not differ markedly from those after one-week treatment with hydroxyurea. Only in a few genes were significant changes after hydroxyurea administration observed and inter-individual expression differences were rather common.