Expression profile of orphan receptor tyrosine kinase (ROR1) and Wilms' tumor gene 1 (WT1) in different subsets of B-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia.

Abstract

Recent molecular investigations have demonstrated over-expression of a large number of tumor associated antigens (TAAs) in a variety of malignancies. Over-expression of ROR1 gene, a member of the receptor tyrosine kinase family, has recently been reported in B-cell chronic lymphocytic leukemia. Wilms' tumor gene 1 (WT1) has long been known as a universal TAA expressed in a variety of solid and hematopoietic malignancies. In the present study, the expression profile of ROR1 and WT1 was investigated in different immunophenotypic subsets of B-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia (B-ALL) patients. RT-PCR method was used to determine the ROR1 and WT1 genes expression in bone marrow (BM) and peripheral blood (PB) samples from 51 newly diagnosed Iranian B-ALL patients. Isolated tumor cells from all patients were immunophenotyped by flow cytometry. Based on immunophenotypic results, our B-ALL patients were classified in four differentiation subsets; Pro-B (n = 7), Pre-B I (n = 29), Pre-B II (n = 13) and Immature/mature B-ALL (n = 2). Although ROR1 was over-expressed in more mature subsets (16.7%, 42.9%, 45.5% and 100%, respectively), WT1 was more represented in immature subsets of B-ALL patients (57.1%, 64.3%, 38.5% and 0%, respectively). Comparison of the frequency of ROR1 and WT1 positive samples at each immunophenotypic subtype revealed statistically significant difference only in Pre B I subtype (p = 0.02). Our results suggest that expression of ROR1 and WT1 in B-ALL is associated with the differentiation stage of the leukemic cells.

• Authors: Mahdi Shabani, Hossein Asgarian-Omran, Parvaneh Vossough, Ramazan A Sharifian, Mohammad Faranoush, Soheila Ghragozlou, Jalal Khoshnoodi, Azam Roohi, Mahmood Jeddi-Tehrani, Hakan Mellstedt, Hodjatallah Rabbani, Fazel Shokri
• Journal: Leukemia & lymphoma (Leuk Lymphoma) Vol. 49 Issue 7 Pg. 1360-7 (Jul 2008) ISSN: 1029-2403 [Electronic] United States
• PMID: 18604725 (Publication Type: Journal Article, Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't)

Chemical References

• RNA, Neoplasm
• WT1 Proteins
• ROR1 protein, human
• Receptor Protein-Tyrosine Kinases
• Receptor Tyrosine Kinase-like Orphan Receptors

Topics

• Adolescent
• Adult
• Burkitt Lymphoma (classification, pathology)
• Child
• Child, Preschool
• Gene Expression Profiling
• Humans
• Immunophenotyping
• Infant
• Iran
• RNA, Neoplasm (analysis)
• Receptor Protein-Tyrosine Kinases (genetics)
• Receptor Tyrosine Kinase-like Orphan Receptors
• Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction
• WT1 Proteins (genetics)