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WT1 protein expression in childhood acute leukemia
Author(s) -
Kerst Gunter,
Bergold Nina,
Gieseke Friederike,
CoustanSmith Elaine,
Lang Peter,
Kalinova Marketa,
Handgretinger Rupert,
Trka Jan,
Müller Ingo
Publication year - 2008
Publication title -
american journal of hematology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 2.456
H-Index - 105
eISSN - 1096-8652
pISSN - 0361-8609
DOI - 10.1002/ajh.21123
Subject(s) - minimal residual disease , myeloid leukemia , leukemia , wilms' tumor , flow cytometry , acute leukemia , cancer research , biology , real time polymerase chain reaction , k562 cells , childhood leukemia , microbiology and biotechnology , medicine , gene , immunology , lymphoblastic leukemia , genetics
In patients with acute leukemia, Wilms' tumor gene 1 (WT1) has been used as a target for the detection of minimal residual disease (MRD) by PCR techniques. The expression of WT1 protein, however, has not been extensively studied. To determine the relation between expression of WT1 transcripts and of the encoded protein, we examined leukemic cell lines and primary childhood leukemia samples using both real‐time quantitative PCR (RQ‐PCR) and flow cytometry. WT1 protein was highly expressed in the leukemic cell lines K562, HL‐60, PLB 985, KG‐1a and CEM. By contrast, 40 primary samples of acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL; B‐ALL, n = 15 and T‐ALL, n = 10) and acute myeloid leukemia ( n = 15) expressed low levels of WT1 protein. RQ‐PCR detected WT1 transcript levels in the same range as reported in earlier studies in childhood acute leukemia. The results of this study indicate the following: (i) there are considerable discrepancies between WT1 transcripts and protein expression; (ii) WT1 is not a suitable marker for flow cytometric MRD detection in childhood acute leukemia. Am. J. Hematol., 2008. © 2007 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.