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Published on: November 10, 2023
Expression of Peripheral Blood microRNA-126 and Its Prognostic Value in Patients With Acute Myeloid Leukemia
Haiying Zhang1,2, Huaqing Zhang1,2, Lingzhou Xia1,2
1Department of Hematology, The Affiliated Ganzhou Hospital of Nanchang University, Ganzhou, Jiangxi, China.
Objective:
This study aimed to characterize peripheral blood microRNA (miR)-126 expression and evaluate its prognostic significance in patients with acute myeloid leukemia (AML).
Methods:
AML patients (n = 78) and healthy volunteers (n = 81) were enrolled in this retrospective study as the AML and Control groups. Clinical data were collected, and peripheral blood miR-126 expression was measured by RT-qPCR. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves assessed the prognostic value of miR-126. Kaplan-Meier analysis compared survival outcomes between patients with high and low miR-126 expression. Univariate and multivariate Cox regression analyses were conducted to determine whether miR-126 was an independent risk factor for overall survival (OS) and progression-free survival (PFS).
Results:
Peripheral blood miR-126 expression was significantly higher in the AML group than in controls [1.30 (0.51-2.30) vs. 0.42 (0.30-0.62)]. The area under the ROC curve (AUC) of miR-126 to distinguish AML patients from healthy controls was 0.815, with 62.82% sensitivity and 93.83% specificity at a cutoff value of 0.86. Patients with high miR-126 expression had higher proportions of extramedullary infiltration and high-risk European LeukemiaNet classification and significantly shorter OS and PFS. The AUC of miR-126 for predicting poor prognosis was 0.796, with 73.20% sensitivity and 75.70% specificity at a cutoff value of 1.297. After adjustment, miR-126 was confirmed as an independent predictor of reduced OS and PFS.
Conclusion:
Elevated peripheral blood miR-126 expression is associated with reduced OS and PFS of patients with AML and may serve as a useful biomarker for prognostic assessment.
Insights
Elevated microRNA-126 (miR-126) in the blood is linked to poorer outcomes in acute myeloid leukemia (AML) patients. This finding suggests miR-126 could be a valuable prognostic biomarker for AML.
Area of Science:
- Hematology
- Molecular Biology
- Oncology
Background:
- Acute myeloid leukemia (AML) is a heterogeneous hematologic malignancy.
- Accurate prognostic markers are crucial for optimizing AML patient management.
- MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are emerging as significant regulators in cancer development and progression.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the expression levels of microRNA-126 (miR-126) in the peripheral blood of AML patients.
- To evaluate the prognostic significance of miR-126 in predicting overall survival (OS) and progression-free survival (PFS) in AML.
Main Methods:
- Retrospective analysis of 78 AML patients and 81 healthy controls.
- Peripheral blood miR-126 expression quantified using RT-qPCR.
- Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis to assess diagnostic and prognostic value.
- Kaplan-Meier and Cox regression analyses to determine the association between miR-126 and survival outcomes.
Main Results:
- Peripheral blood miR-126 levels were significantly higher in AML patients compared to healthy controls (p < 0.001).
- High miR-126 expression correlated with extramedullary infiltration and high-risk European LeukemiaNet classification.
- Elevated miR-126 was associated with significantly shorter OS and PFS (p < 0.001).
- miR-126 independently predicted reduced OS and PFS in multivariate analysis.
Conclusions:
- Increased peripheral blood miR-126 expression is a significant indicator of poor prognosis in AML.
- miR-126 demonstrates potential as a valuable biomarker for prognostic assessment in AML patients.
- Further research may elucidate the precise role of miR-126 in AML pathogenesis and its therapeutic implications.
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