PHD finger protein 19 expression in multiple myeloma: Association with clinical features, induction therapy outcome,...

Area of Science:

• Hematology
• Oncology
• Molecular Biology

Background:

• PHD finger protein 19 (PHF19), also known as polycomb-like protein 3 (PCL3), is implicated in multiple myeloma (MM) progression and drug resistance.
• The precise role of PHF19 in MM patient outcomes and treatment response requires further elucidation.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the correlation between PHF19 expression levels and treatment response in MM patients.
• To determine the association of PHF19 expression with disease progression and survival rates in MM.

Main Methods:

• Quantitative reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR) was used to analyze PHF19 expression in bone marrow plasma cells from 101 newly diagnosed MM patients and 30 healthy donors.
• Treatment response, progression-free survival (PFS), and overall survival (OS) were assessed in relation to PHF19 expression levels.

Main Results:

• PHF19 expression was significantly upregulated in MM patients compared to healthy donors (p < 0.001), serving as an accurate predictor of MM risk (AUC = 0.916).
• Elevated PHF19 levels correlated with advanced International Staging System (ISS) stages (p = 0.036) and revised ISS stages (p = 0.035).
• Higher PHF19 expression was associated with poorer treatment response (p = 0.028), reduced PFS (p = 0.006), and decreased OS (p = 0.027). Multivariate analysis confirmed PHF19 as an independent predictor of reduced PFS (HR = 2.025, p = 0.028).

Conclusions:

• Increased PHF19 expression is a significant indicator of poor response to induction therapy in MM.
• Elevated PHF19 levels are correlated with unfavorable long-term prognosis, including reduced progression-free and overall survival in multiple myeloma patients.