Expression and Relationship of SAMHD1 with Other Apoptotic and Autophagic Genes in Acute Myeloid Leukemia Patients

Background: SAM domain- and HD domain-containing protein 1 (SAMHD1) is a cellular enzyme which is responsible for blocking replication in viruses and participates in the progression of many cancers. Objective: The aim of this study was to correlate the expression level of SAMHD1 with other apoptotic and autophagic genes in acute myeloid leukemia (AML) patients. Methods: In the present study, mRNA levels of SAMHD1 with other apoptotic and autophagic-related genes were evaluated in patients who were newly diagnosed with AML. Results: SAMHD1, Bcl-xl, Bax, Bak, XIAP, and cIAP1 were downregulated in the AML group compared to the non-AML group (p < 0.05). SAMHD1 expression did not correlate with the other genes, while most apoptotic genes were positively correlated with each other. SAMHD1 expression was not associated with the blood routine or blast percentage of the AML patients, while Bax, Bak, cIAP2, and LC3 were significantly correlated with white blood cells. No statistically significant differences were found between the studied genes and prognosis stratifications, but Bcl-xl, Bak, cIAP1, and Mcl-1, LC3 were expressed at lower levels in the unfavorable AML group compared to the controls. Conclusion: SAMHD1 and Bcl-xl, Bax, Bak, XIAP, and cIAP1 were downregulated in AML patients, while there were no significant differences in the clinical characteristics and prognosis with reference to SAMHD1 expression.