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Published on: October 17, 2025
Pattern of ABCC Transporter Gene Expression in Pediatric Patients with Relapsed Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia
Narjes Mehrvar1, Hassan Abolghasemi2, Mohammad Reza Rezvany3,4
1Cancer Research Center, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.
Insights
Altered expression of ABCC transporter genes (ABCC1-6, ABCC10) can predict acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) relapse in children. Elevated ABCC2-6 and decreased ABCC1/ABCC10 expression indicate higher relapse risk.
Area of Science:
- Genetics
- Oncology
- Pharmacogenomics
Background:
- Abnormal expression of ATP-binding cassette (ABC) transporter C genes is linked to treatment failure in pediatric acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL).
- Understanding ABCC gene expression patterns is crucial for predicting treatment outcomes in pediatric ALL.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the expression patterns of ABCC1-6 and ABCC10 genes in Iranian pediatric ALL patients with relapsed disease.
- To assess the potential of ABCC gene expression as a predictive biomarker for ALL relapse.
Main Methods:
- A case-control study involving 39 pediatric ALL patients (23 relapsed, 16 in remission).
- Reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) was used to quantify ABCC1-6 and ABCC10 gene expression levels.
- Cumulative doses of VCR, DNR, and L-ASP chemotherapy agents were recorded.
Main Results:
- Elevated expression of ABCC2-6 and decreased expression of ABCC1 and ABCC10 were associated with an increased risk of ALL relapse.
- Significantly higher mean-fold expression of ABCC2 was observed in the relapsed ALL group.
- ABCC gene expression patterns correlated with high cumulative doses of VCR, DNR, and L-ASP.
Conclusions:
- ABCC transporter gene expression patterns may serve as a valuable biomarker for predicting ALL relapse in pediatric patients.
- This predictive capability could lead to improved cancer prognosis and personalized treatment strategies.
Background:
Abnormal expression of ABCC transporter genes has been associated with treatment failure in pediatric patients with acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL). The aim of this study was to evaluate the expression pattern of ABCC1-6 and ABCC10 genes in Iranian pediatric patients with ALL relapse and determine the potential predictive value of determining ALL relapse from ABCC expression.
Methods:
Patients with ALL were divided into two separate groups, either the case group with relapsed ALL or the control group in which ALL patients have been in progression-free survival for at least 3 years A total of thirty-nine participants (23 with relapsed ALL; 16 controls) were enrolled over 26 months. To determine the levels of ABCC1-6 and ABCC10 transporter gene expression RT-PCR was used. Cumulative doses of the chemotherapy drugs, VCR, DNR and L-ASP, were calculated for each patient.
Results:
Our findings showed elevated expression of ABCC2-6 and decreased expression of ABCC1 and ABCC10 to be associated with an increased risk of ALL relapse. The mean-fold expression of ABCC2 was significantly increased in the ALL relapse group. Additionally, the expression pattern of the ABCC transporter genes was associated with high doses of three chemotherapy drugs, VCR, DNR and L-ASP.
Conclusion:
Evaluating the expression pattern of ABCC transporter genes may be a potential biomarker for predicting the occurrence of ALL relapse in Iranian pediatric patients and improve cancer prognosis.

