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Updated: Aug 27, 2025
Flow Cytometry to Estimate Leukemia Stem Cells in Primary Acute Myeloid Leukemia and in Patient-derived-xenografts, at Diagnosis and Follow Up
Published on: March 26, 2018
Systematic analysis of prognostic and immunologic characteristics associated with coronavirus disease 2019 regulators
Mingjie Shi1,2, Lidan Chen3, Yue Wei4
1Key Laboratory of Research in Maternal and Child Medicine and Birth Defects, Guangdong Medical University, Foshan, China.
Abstract:
The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has so far damaged the health of millions and has made the treatment of cancer patients more complicated, and so did acute myeloid leukemia (AML). The current problem is the lack of understanding of their interactions and suggestions of evidence-based guidelines or historical experience for the treatment of such patients. Here, we first identified the COVID-19-related differentially expressed genes (C-DEGs) in AML patients by analyzing RNA-seq from public databases and explored their enrichment pathways and candidate drugs. A total of 76 C-DEGs associated with the progress of AML and COVID-19 infection were ultimately identified, and the functional analysis suggested that there are some shared links between them. Their protein-protein interactions (PPIs) and protein-drug interactions were then recognized by multiple bioinformatics algorithms. Moreover, a COVID-19 gene-associated prognostic model (C-GPM) with riskScore was constructed, patients with a high riskScore had poor survival and apparently immune-activated phenotypes, such as stronger monocyte and neutrophil cell infiltrations and higher immunosuppressants targeting expressions, meaning which may be one of the common denominators between COVID-19 and AML and the reason what complicates the treatment of the latter. Among the study's drawbacks is that these results relied heavily on publicly available datasets rather than being clinically confirmed. Yet, these findings visualized those C-DEGs' enrichment pathways and inner associations, and the C-GPM based on them could accurately predict survival outcomes in AML patients, which will be helpful for further optimizing therapies for AML patients with COVID-19 infections.
Insights
This study identified 76 COVID-19-related genes (C-DEGs) in acute myeloid leukemia (AML) patients, revealing shared pathways and a prognostic model. This helps understand how COVID-19 complicates AML treatment and predicts patient survival.
Area of Science:
- * Oncology
- * Virology
- * Bioinformatics
Background:
- * The COVID-19 pandemic complicates cancer treatment, particularly for acute myeloid leukemia (AML).
- * There is a lack of understanding regarding the interactions between COVID-19 and AML, hindering evidence-based treatment guidelines.
- * Publicly available RNA-seq data from AML patients is crucial for investigating these interactions.
Purpose of the Study:
- * To identify COVID-19-related differentially expressed genes (C-DEGs) in AML patients.
- * To explore the enrichment pathways and candidate drugs associated with these C-DEGs.
- * To construct a prognostic model for AML patients with COVID-19 infection.
Main Methods:
- * Analysis of RNA-seq data from public databases to identify C-DEGs in AML patients.
- * Functional enrichment analysis to explore shared pathways between COVID-19 and AML.
- * Application of bioinformatics algorithms to recognize protein-protein interactions (PPIs) and protein-drug interactions.
- * Construction of a COVID-19 gene-associated prognostic model (C-GPM) using risk scores.
Main Results:
- * Identified 76 C-DEGs associated with both AML progression and COVID-19 infection.
- * Functional analysis revealed shared biological links between COVID-19 and AML.
- * Developed a C-GPM that accurately predicts survival outcomes in AML patients.
- * High-risk patients exhibited immune-activated phenotypes, including increased monocyte/neutrophil infiltration and higher expression of immunosuppressants.
Conclusions:
- * The identified C-DEGs and their associated pathways offer insights into the complex interactions between COVID-19 and AML.
- * The C-GPM can predict survival in AML patients, potentially aiding in treatment optimization.
- * Findings suggest immune dysregulation as a common factor complicating COVID-19 and AML treatment.
- * Further clinical validation is needed, but the study provides a valuable framework for understanding and managing AML patients with COVID-19 infections.
