Objective: To investigate GATA-2 gene expression in leukemia patients and its clinical significance.
Methods: GATA-2 gene transcripts were detected by reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR), and bcr/abl or PML/RAR alpha transcripts were detected in patients with chronic myeloid leukemia (CML) and acute promyelocytic leukemia (APL), respectively.
Results: The GATA-2 transcripts were revealed in 93% of acute myeloid leukemia (AML), in 70% of acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL), and 83% of CML patients, but not in normal bone marrow and peripheral blood cells. GATA-2 expression in remission patients was similar to newly diagnosed or relapsed patients. In post-transplantation patients, GATA-2 expression was significantly decreased. In these cases GATA-2 transcripts could be detected with bcr/abl fusion gene disappeared in 2 of 12 CML, whereas neither GATA-2 nor PML/RARalpha transcripts could be detected in APL.
Conclusion: GATA-2 transcripts was highly expressed in leukemia patients and had no change in remission but significantly decreased in post-transplantation patients. Detection of GATA-2 expression would give information about the residual leukemia stem cells.