Background: : microRNAs are playing important roles in the diagnosis and prognosis of pediatric acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL).
Methods: Expression levels of miR-100 and miR-210 were assessed in bone marrow aspirate of 85 pediatric ALL patients compared to 12 healthy control using quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction. Data were correlated with relevant clinico-pathological features of the patients, response to treatment, disease-free survival (DFS), and overall survival (OS).
Results: miR-100 was significantly downregulated in ALL patients [median: 1.21, range: 0-434.3] compared to the control group [median: 8.41, range; 0-840.3, P = 0.035]. miR-210 was significantly upregulated in ALL patients [median: 6.34, range: 1.16-1088.7] compared to the control group [median: 2.57, range: 0.11-709.2, P = 0.025]. The sensitivity, specificity, and area under curve of miR-100 were (64.7%, 62.5%, and 0.642; respectively, P = 0.035) at a cut-off 2.6 and that of miR-210 were (60%, 58.3% and 0.650; respectively, P = 0.025) at a cut-off 3.5. miR-100 overexpression associated with shorter DFS and OS (P = 0.033 and 0.046; respectively). Patients with miR-100 lowexpression showed a significant incidence of late death ( P = 0.024). There was no significant association between miR-210 expression and DFS, OS, incidence of early or late death.
Conclusion: : miR-100 and miR-210 could be used as potential diagnostic markers for pediatric ALL. miR-100 is a useful prognostic and predictive biomarker for childhood ALL.
Keywords: ALL; Leukemia; MicroRNAs; miR-100; miR-210.