This study was purposed to investigate the expression and significance of
glycosylphosphatidylinositol-specific phospholipase D (
GPI-PLD) in bone marrow mononuclear cells (BMMNC) isolated from patients with
acute myeloid leukemia (AML),
GPI-PLD activity in BMMNC isolated from 78 patients with AML and 15 normal persons was measured by using GPI-anchored
placental alkaline phosphatase (PLAP) as a substrate and
Triton X-114 phase partitioning. The
GPI-PLD mRNA expression was measured by semi-quantitive reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR). The results showed that the
mRNA expression level and activity of
GPI-PLD in BMMNC from de novo AML patients were 1.86 +/- 0.32 and 46.96 +/- 7.15% respectively; the
mRNA expression level and activity of
GPI-PLD in BMMNC from completely remission and refractory or relapsed patients were 1.26 +/- 0.29, 33.36 +/- 5.13%and 1.79 +/- 0.19, 44.31 +/- 7.22%, while those in BMMNC from normal controls were 1.27 +/- 0.23, 35.38 +/- 5.15% respectively. The
mRNA expression level and activity of
GPI-PLD in de novo and refractory or relapsed patients were obviously higher than those in normal controls with significant difference (p < 0.01), while the comparison between remitted patients and normal controls showed no statistical difference (p > 0.05). It is concluded that the expression level of
GPI-PLD mRNA coincides with
GPI-PLD activity. The
mRNA expression and activity of
GPI-PLD in de novo and refractory or relapsed patients are obviously higher than those in normal controls. It is worthy of further exploring whether
GPI-PLD plays a certain role in process of
leukemia pathogenesis.