ABSTRACT
OBJECTIVE: miRNA considers a small non-coding RNA molecule that has tumor suppressor or oncogenic functions and regulates gene expression. miRNA may be involved in the pathogenesis of acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL). miRNA was evaluated in patients with ALL to correlate their importance in the clinical prediction and the response to chemotherapy. SUBJECT AND METHODS: The study population included 30 healthy control and 71 children with ALL is divided into 4 groups: healthy, newly diagnosed, remitted, and relapsed groups. We quantify miRNA 92a, miRNA 638 expression using real-time PCR in childhood ALL. RESULTS: plasma miRNA 92a and miRNA 638 expressions were elevated in ALL cases at the time of diagnosis (2.51 and 2.19 folds), and relapsed (2.1 and 1.61 folds) than that of patients with remitted ALL. There was a positive correlation between miRNA 92a and miRNA 638 patients with ALL. Also, total leukocyte and blast correlated with miRNA 92a and miRNA 638 unlike hemoglobin, and platelets didn't correlate with miRNA 92a and miRNA 638. The sensitivity of miRNA 92a and miRNA 638 were 41.5% and 54.7% respectively while the specificity was 100 % of miRNA 92a and miRNA 638. CONCLUSION: miRNA 92a and miRNA 638 are recommended to be used as potential predictive and follow-up markers in children with ALL remitted and relapsed cases.
