Correlation between IL-7 genomic protein methylation level and acute myeloid leukemia

To detect Interleukin-7 (IL-7) gene methylation status and transcription level in leukemia cells of peripheral blood of patients with Acute Myelocytic Leukemia (AML) and in the cell lines (HL-60, HL-60/ADM, SKM-1) of AML and myelodysplastic syndrome (MDS), and explore its relationship with the pathogenesis of AML.

A total of 55 AML patients (AML group) and 30 healthy adults (Healthy group) from June 2015 to June 2018 were enrolled in this study. The genomic DNA of leukemia cells in peripheral blood was extracted. The methylation-specific PCR (MSP) method was used to detect the methylation rate of the IL-7 gene in peripheral blood of AML group and Health group. Meanwhile, the methylation level of the IL-7 gene leukemia cell lines HL-60/ADM, HL-60, and MV4-11 and SKM-1 were detected in vitro. At the same time, the expression level of IL-7 in peripheral blood was detected by Reverse Transcription-Polymerase Chain Reaction (RT-PCR) and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) kit.

The methylation rate of IL-7 gene in peripheral blood of the AML group and Healthy group was 72.7% (40/55) vs. 3.3% (1/30) (p<0.01); IL-7 gene methylation occurred in HL-60/ADM, HL-60, MV4-11 and SKM-1 cell lines. IL-7 gene methylation appears in peripheral blood leukemia cells and AML and MDS cell lines of AML patients.

The expression of IL-7 in peripheral blood of patients with AML is significantly decreased, suggesting that this phenomenon is related to the pathogenesis of AML.