Gene regulation by microRNAs (miRNAs) is one of the most important regulatory
networks which control normal hematopoiesis. Disturbances in miRNAs levels lead to
proliferation diseases including leukemogenesis. MicroRNAs is a major topic of many
ca
ncer researches performed to discover noninvasive biomarkers used for diagnosis,
prognosis, and optimization of clinical decision.
This study, the first to be performed in Syria, aimed at monitoring miR-155 levels
compared to a normalizer gene RNU6-2 by quantitative reverse transcriptase -PCR (qRTPCR)
in a sample of newly diagnosed untreated AML patients at several hospitals in
Damascus in comparison with healthy controls. Changes in miR-155 gene expression
levels were calculated in patients and controls using the 2-ΔCt method.
The most important finding was the association of low and very high miR-155 levels
with poor prognosis reflected in failure to accomplish complete remission and high
mortality. In addition, high miR-155 levels were associated with M4 AML subtype,
although with large variance among patients. We hope our preliminary study pave the road
for many future research studies related to the applicability of microRNAs in supporting
diagnosis, predicting prognosis, and enhancing the personalized therapies which deal with
patients as individual cases.
