The expression analysis of LATS2 gene in de novo AML patients

Acute myeloid leukemia is a heterogeneous disease with respect to presentation and clinical outcome. Acquired genetic alterations along with epigenetic changes in hematopoietic progenitor cells are associated with the disease development. LATS2, as a tumor suppressor, has been indicated to have expression variations in different cancers. The aim of the present study was to analyze the expression level of the LATS2 gene in acute myeloid leukemia (AML) patients. Using quantitative real-time PCR, the expression level of the LATS2 gene was detected in peripheral blood samples from 32 patients with de novo AML and 10 normal controls. LATS2 gene was significantly over-expressed in AML patients compared to normal subjects. Significant LATS2 over-expression was observed in all FAB types except for the M3 (p = 0.661). The present work provides the first evidence of the over-expression of LATS2 in AML patients and suggests that the gene might play a role in the disease development and hence may be a potential therapeutic target for AML treatment.