Expression of β-catenin in patients with chronic myeloid leukemia / 中国病理生理杂志

ABSTRACT

AIM: To observe the expression of β-catenin in patients with chronic myeloid leukemia (CML) at different disease phases, and to analyze the relationship between BCR-ABL and cytogenetic response to imatinib mesylate. METHODS: RT-PCR and Western blotting were used to detect β-catenin mRNA and protein expression in bone marrow mononuclear cells (BMMNCs) from 99 patients with CML. The association with BCR-ABL and BCR-ABL fusion was determined by FISH in 94 patients after one year treatment with imatinib mesylate, and the relationship between β-catenin and cytogenetic response to imatinib mesylate was analyzed. RESULTS: The expression of β-catenin was increased significantly in patients with blast crisis and accelerated phase (P<0.01), while the expression of β-catenin between normal person and chronic phase of CML patients was not statistically different (P>0.05). No significant relation between β-catenin and BCR-ABL expression (r=0.314, P>0.05) was observed. The expression of β-catenin was increased significantly in the patients who did not reach main cytogenetic remission (P<0.01). CONCLUSION: The patients in progression phases of CML over-express β-catenin. The expression of β-catenin is not significantly related to BCR-ABL expression, but related to the therapeutic response of imatinib. Beta-catenin may be involved in the mechanism of CML progression and could be used as a new therapeutic target.