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PRAME gene expression in childhood acute lymphoblastic leukemia: impact on prognosis
C A Abdelmalak1, R S Yahya1, D M Elghannam2
1Department of Biochemistry, Faculty of Science, Mansoura University, Egypt.
Insights
Preferentially expressed antigen of melanoma (PRAME) gene expression in acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) patients indicates a better prognosis. PRAME positivity correlates with higher complete remission rates and longer survival, suggesting its potential as a therapeutic target.
Area of Science:
- Oncology
- Molecular Biology
- Genetics
Background:
- Preferentially expressed antigen of melanoma (PRAME) gene is overexpressed in various cancers, including acute myeloid leukemia and acute B-cell malignancies.
- Investigating PRAME gene expression in acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) is crucial for understanding its role in disease progression.
Purpose of the Study:
- To assess PRAME gene expression in pretreated ALL bone marrow samples.
- To determine the prognostic significance of PRAME expression on patient outcomes in ALL.
Main Methods:
- Real-time reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) was employed to screen for PRAME gene expression.
- The study included 55 pretreated ALL bone marrow samples.
Main Results:
- PRAME positivity was detected in 31.3% (14 out of 45) of ALL patients.
- PRAME-positive patients showed significantly higher complete remission (CR) rates (p = 0.001).
- PRAME expression was associated with lower relapse rates (p = 0.02), reduced mortality (p < 0.001), and longer disease-free survival (DFS) and overall survival (OS) (p < 0.001 for both).
Conclusions:
- PRAME gene expression serves as a predictive marker for a better prognosis in ALL.
- PRAME could be a viable target for immunotherapy in ALL treatment.
- The PRAME gene may function as a candidate marker for monitoring minimal residual disease (MRD).
Background:
The PRAME (preferentially expressed antigen of melanoma) gene is frequently overexpressed in a wide variety of malignant diseases, including acute myeloid leukemia (AML) and acute B-cell malignancies.
Aim:
To study the expression of PRAME gene and clarify its prognostic impact on disease outcome.
Methods:
Screening for PRAME gene expression was assessed using real-time reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction in 55 pretreated ALL bone marrow samples.
Results:
PRAME positivity was found in 14 (31.3%) of 45 patients. No significant correlation could be observed between PRAME expression and clinical characteristics. Positive PRAME expressers had a statistically higher CR (p = 0.001), lower relapse (p = 0.02), lower mortality (p < 0.001), a trend towards lower Refractory disease (p = 0.10), and a statistically longer DFS and OS (p < 0.001, < 0.001, respectively) in comparison to negative PRAME expressers.
Conclusions:
Our results suggested that PRAME was a predictor for better outcome, could be a useful target for immunotherapy, and might represent a candidate marker for the monitoring of minimal residual disease.
