The expression of DNA methyltransferase DNMT1, 3A and 3B in acute leukemia and myelodysplastic syndrome

• Published in: Chung-hua nei kʿo tsa chih Vol. 42; no. 10; p. 688
• Main Authors: Li, Yuan, Wu, Shu-lan, Bu, Ding-fang, Zhu, Yan, Zhu, Qiang, Cao, Xiang-hong
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: Chinese
• Published: China 01.10.2003
• Subjects: DNA (Cytosine-5-)-Methyltransferase 1; DNA (Cytosine-5-)-Methyltransferases - genetics; DNA (Cytosine-5-)-Methyltransferases - metabolism; DNA Methylation; DNA Methyltransferase 3A; DNA Methyltransferase 3B; Gene Expression; Humans; Leukemia - enzymology; Myelodysplastic Syndromes - enzymology; RNA, Messenger - metabolism
• ISSN: 0578-1426

To explore the relationship between methyltransferases and the pathogenesis of acute leukemia (AL) and the leukemic transformation of myelodysplastic syndromes (MDS). Semi-quantitative RT-PCR method was used to detect the mRNA expression level of DNMT1, 3A and 3B in bone marrow cells from 75 patients with AL or MDS. There was no significant difference in mRNA expression level of DNMTs between a low-risk MDS group (n = 21) and a normal group. However, increased expression level of DNMT1, 3A and 3B was found in 47.6%, 47.6% and 42.9% of the patients in the low-risk group, respectively, if the upper limit of 80% of the normal controls was considered as the critical level. In high-risk MDS (n = 13), a more proportion of the cases with increased expression level of DNMTs were found, that was 53.8%, 76.9% and 92.3% respectively, and only expression level of DNMT3B was significantly higher than that in the low-risk MDS group (P < 0.01). In the AL group (n = 41) expression level of all the three subtypes was coordina