Expression of miR-214 in Pediatric Acute Leukemia: Correlations with Leukemia Subtypes, Familial Predisposition, and Hepatitis B Virus Infection.

Abstract

Background: miR-214 dysregulation has been implicated in various cancers, yet its role in pediatric acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) is not fully understood. This study evaluated miR-214 expression in newly diagnosed pediatric ALL patients and explored associations with leukemia subtypes, family history, and hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection.

Methods:  Bone marrow aspirates were collected from 44 pediatric ALL patients (26 B-ALL, 18 T-ALL) and five non-leukemic controls. qRT-PCR quantified miR-214 expression. Clinical data included HBV status and family history of hematologic malignancy. Relative expression levels were analyzed using 2-ΔΔCt and log₁₀ transformed for statistical analyses, including correlation and logistic regression models with interaction terms.

Aim of the study: The present study aimed to quantitatively evaluate the expression pattern of miR-214 in newly diagnosed pediatric acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) patients compared with non-leukemic controls. In addition, the study sought to investigate whether miR-214 expression differs according to immunophenotypic subtype (B-ALL versus T-ALL) and to explore its potential associations with clinical and host-related factors, specifically family history of hematologic malignancy and hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection status. Furthermore, this study aimed to assess whether these variables exert interaction effects that may reflect context-dependent regulation of miR-214 in pediatric leukemogenesis.

Results:  miR-214 expression was generally downregulated in ALL compared to controls, though differences were not statistically significant. B-ALL patients showed lower median expression than T-ALL, with the lowest levels observed in those with a positive family history. T-ALL patients exhibited broader expression variability, including marked upregulation in some cases. Exploratory regression models suggested differential effects of miR-214 based on HBV status and family history, but interaction terms did not reach statistical significance (p > 0.05).

Conclusions: miR-214 expression in pediatric ALL appears to vary according to leukemia subtype and selected clinical factors, including family history and HBV infection. However, no statistically significant interaction effects were observed. These findings should be considered preliminary and warrant validation in larger, adequately powered cohorts to clarify the potential clinical relevance of miR-214 in leukemogenesis.