Progress of study on the transcription factor SALL4 / 中国实验血液学杂志

SAL-like 4 (SALL4) locating at chromosome 20q13.13-13.2 encodes a newly identified transcription factor containing 8 zinc finger motif. Recent studies have revealed the important role of SALL4 gene in the regulation of early embryonic development, organogenesis, and proliferation and pluripotency of embryonic stem cells. The heterozygous mutations of SALL4 in different loci, causing nonsense mutation or frameshift mutation, and resulting in genesis of premature terminal codon, are correlated with autosomal dominant hereditary diseases such as Okihiro syndrome, acro-renal-ocular syndrome and IVIC syndrome. The level of SALL4 expression is increased in germ cell tumors, hepatoid gastric carcinoma, acute myeloid leukemia, B-precursor cell leukemia/lymphoma and myelodysplastic syndrome. This review focuses on the structure and function of SALL4 gene as well as its relevance to related diseases.

Scanning of c-kit gene mutations in acute myeloid leukemias using high-resolution melting analysis / 中华血液学杂志

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To detect the common mutations (D816V and N822K) of c-kit gene in acute myeloid leukemia (AML) using high-resolution melting analysis (HRM).</p><p><b>METHODS</b>HRM analysis was established to screen c-kit mutations in PCR products of c-kit exon 17 in 21 AML patients with t(8;21). PCR products were sequenced to confirm the mutation.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>HRM analysis identified an aberrant melting curve in 6 cases (28.6%), which were confirmed by direct DNA sequencing as one D816V mutation and five N822K mutation.</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>HRM analysis is a convenient, rapid, specific and high-throughput technique for scanning c-kit gene mutation in AML.</p>

Alteration of methylation status of death-associated protein kinase (dapk) gene promoter in patients with acute myeloid leukemia / 中国实验血液学杂志

This study was purposed to analyze the methylation status of death-associated protein kinase (dapk) gene promoter in Chinese patients with acute myeloid leukemia (AML) and its relationship with clinical features. The methylation-specific PCR (MSP) technique was used to detect dapk promoter methylation in bone marrow samples from 112 cases of AML. The results indicated that gene dapk promoter hypermethylation was detected in 82 cases (73.2%), but not in 13 control group. There was no correlation of dapk gene hypermethylation with sex, age, WBC counts, platelet counts, hematologic parameters, chromosomal abnormalities and different subtypes of AML patients. It is concluded that dapk gene hypermethylation may be a common molecular event in AML.