Hypermethylation of the GATA binding protein 4 (GATA4) promoter in Chinese pediatric acute myeloid leukemia

BMC Cancer

Research Article

Li-Chao Sun¹  Xiao-Juan Du²  Yan-Fang Tao³  Pei-Fang Xiao³  Jian Wang³  Jun Lu³  Lan Cao³  Li-Xiao Xu³  Fang Fang³  Wen-Li Zhao³  Yi-Ping Li³  Yan-Hong Li³  Yun-Yun Xu³  Na-Na Wang³  Xing Feng³  Jian Pan³  Shao-Yan Hu³  Zhi-Heng Li³  Jian Ni⁴ 

[1] Department of Cell and Molecular Biology, Cancer Institute (Hospital), Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Peking Union Medical College, Beijing, China;Department of Gastroenterology, the 5th Hospital of Chinese PLA, Yin chuan, China;Department of Hematology and Oncology, Childrens Hospital of Soochow University, Suzhou, China;Translational Research Center, Second Hospital, The Second Clinical School, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, China;

关键词: GATA binding protein 4;    Pediatric acute myeloid leukemia;    Methylation;    Tumor suppressor;   

DOI  :  10.1186/s12885-015-1760-5

 received in 2014-05-01, accepted in 2015-10-09,  发布年份 2015

来源: Springer

【 摘 要 】

BackgroundAcute myeloid leukemia (AML) is the second-most common form of leukemia in children. Aberrant DNA methylation patterns are a characteristic feature of AML. GATA4 has been suggested to be a tumor suppressor gene regulated by promoter hypermethylation in various types of human cancers although the expression and promoter methylation of GATA4 in pediatric AML is still unclear.MethodsTranscriptional expression levels of GATA4 were evaluated by semi-quantitative and real-time PCR. Methylation status was investigated by methylation-specific PCR (MSP) and bisulfate genomic sequencing (BGS). The prognostic significance of GATA4 expression and promoter methylation was assessed in 105 cases of Chinese pediatric acute myeloid leukemia patients with clinical follow-up records.ResultsMSP and BGS analysis showed that the GATA4 gene promoter is hypermethylated in AML cells, such as the HL-60 and MV4-11 human myeloid leukemia cell lines. 5-Aza treatment significantly upregulated GATA4 expression in HL-60 and MV4-11 cells. Aberrant methylation of GATA4 was observed in 15.0 % (3/20) of the normal bone marrow control samples compared to 56.2 % (59/105) of the pediatric AML samples. GATA4 transcript levels were significantly decreased in AML patients (33.06 ± 70.94; P = 0.011) compared to normal bone marrow/idiopathic thrombocytopenic purpura controls (116.76 ± 105.39). GATA4 promoter methylation was correlated with patient leukocyte counts (WBC, white blood cells) (P = 0.035) and minimal residual disease MRD (P = 0.031). Kaplan-Meier survival analysis revealed significantly shorter overall survival time in patients with GATA4 promoter methylation (P = 0.014).ConclusionsEpigenetic inactivation of GATA4 by promoter hypermethylation was observed in both AML cell lines and pediatric AML samples; our study implicates GATA4 as a putative tumor suppressor gene in pediatric AML. In addition, our findings imply that GATA4 promoter methylation is correlated with WBC and MRD. Kaplan-Meier survival analysis revealed significantly shorter overall survival in pediatric AML with GATA4 promoter methylation but multivariate analysis shows that it is not an independent factor. However, further research focusing on the mechanism of GATA4 in pediatric leukemia is required.

【 授权许可】

CC BY   
© Tao et al. 2015