Human myeloperoxidase gene expression in acute leukemia
SR Zaki, GE Austin, D Swan, A Srinivasan, AH Ragab and WC Chan
Department of Pathology, Emory University, School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA.
To evaluate the relationship between myeloperoxidase (MPO) gene expression
and specific lineages of hematopoietic differentiation, we analyzed
expression of the MPO gene in a variety of normal and leukemic human cells.
As a first step, we synthesized several oligonucleotide probes and isolated
cDNA clones for the MPO gene. MPO expression was detected in most acute
myeloid leukemias, and the level of expression correlated well with
cytochemical enzymatic activity. No MPO message was detected in pure
lymphoid leukemias, whereas very low basal levels of MPO transcripts were
found in normal bone marrows. In four cases of acute undifferentiated
leukemias cytochemically negative for MPO, significant levels of MPO
transcripts were detected, suggesting a myeloid origin for these cases.
These results indicate that MPO gene expression may serve as an additional
marker for subclassification of acute leukemias and may be used to identify
leukemic cells arrested at an early stage of the myeloid differentiation
pathway.
Volume 74,
Issue 6,
pp. 2096-2102,
11/01/1989
Copyright © 1989 by The American Society of Hematology
