Role of Long Non Coding RNA H19 Gene Expression in Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia: A Molecular Analysis

Background: The malignant clonal development of lymphoid hematopoietic
progenitors is a characteristic of acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL), a kind of
hematological malignancy. Among the long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) is the
H19 gene. Numerous physiological and pathological processes are significantly
impacted by it.
Objective: The current study's objective was to use real-time PCR to measure
the expression level of the H19 gene in ALL patients and to its relationship to
the patients' clinical presentation and laboratory results.
Methods: This study was performed on 49 newly diagnosed ALL patients (39
B-ALL patients versus 10 T-ALL patients). Twenty subjects, age and sex
matched, were included in the study as a control group. Real-time PCR was
used to detect the expression level of H19.
Results: our study showed that H19 gene expression was significantly up
regulated in ALL patients than in control group (P = 0.001). Statistically
significant positive correlations among H19 expression level with WBCs count,
percentage of peripheral blood blasts and also bone marrow blasts in B-ALL
and T-ALL. Also, a statistical significance was found between H19 expression
and 11q23 (MLL) gene rearrangement in B-ALL patients (P = 0.015).
Conclusion: H19 gene expression was higher in studied ALL patients' group
compared with the control group. The higher WBCs count, percentage of PB
blasts and BM blasts, the higher H19 expression level. So, further studies are
recommended on a larger sample size to demonstrate the role of anti-H19 as a
target therapy for ALL patients.