Laith A. Jebur
Department of pathology, college of medicine, University of Baghdad, Baghdad, Iraq
Haithem A. Al-Rubaie
Department of pathology, college of medicine, University of Baghdad, Baghdad, Iraq
ABSTRACT
Background: Acute myeloid leukemia (AML) is an aggressive hematologic malignancy characterized by the uncontrolled proliferation of immature myeloid cells in the bone marrow (BM) and peripheral blood. The phosphatase and tensin homolog (PTEN) gene plays a crucial role in tumor suppression by regulating apoptosis and cell survival through inhibition of the PI3K/AKT signaling pathway. Dysregulation of this pathway has been implicated in leukemogenesis and treatment resistance. Objective: This study aimed to evaluate PTEN gene expression in newly diagnosed AML patients and assess its association with hematological parameters, treatment response, and short-term survival. Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted on 63 de novo AML patients before initiation of chemotherapy and 15 healthy individuals as a control group. RNA was extracted from peripheral blood samples, and PTEN gene expression was quantified using reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR). Hematological parameters were analyzed, and correlations with treatment outcomes, including complete remission (CR) and non-remission (NR), as well as six-month survival status, were assessed. Results: There was no significant difference in PTEN gene expression between AML patients and healthy controls (p = 0.625). Additionally, PTEN expression levels were not significantly associated with remission status (p = 0.328) or survival outcomes after six months (p = 0.994). A negative correlation was observed between PTEN expression and patient age; however, no significant associations were found between PTEN expression and sex or hematological parameters. Conclusion: The findings indicate that PTEN gene expression does not show significant alterations in AML patients compared to healthy controls and is not a predictive marker for remission or short-term survival. Further studies with larger cohorts and longer follow-up periods are required to determine the potential role of PTEN expression in AML pathogenesis and treatment resistance.
Keywords: AML, PTEN, RT-PCR, Gene Expression.
