Value of microRNA 370 in acute myeloid leukemia

Introduction Acute myeloid leukemia (AML) is a malignant disorder of clonal hematopoietic stem cell, characterized by the rapid proliferation of leukemic blasts leading to abnormal accumulation of immature precursors and suppression of growth and maturation of cells involved in normal hematopoiesis. Several studies have elucidated the physiological roles of microRNAs (miRNA) as key regulators of hematopoiesis. Growing evidence shows that miRNA 370 may function either as a tumor suppressor or as an oncogene in various human cancer types, implying its crucial role during tumor development and progression. Objective The aim was to evaluate miRNA 370 expression level in patients with AML compared with healthy control and also the diagnostic and prognostic value of miRNA 370 in AML. Patients and methods This study was carried out on 80 participants to evaluate the role of miRNA 370 in AML. Group I (case) included 60 patients diagnosed with AML, and group II (control) included 20 healthy individuals. Quantitation of miRNA 370 was done by real-time PCR in the peripheral blood. Results Patients with AML had significantly higher miRNA 370 values (1.6 ± 2.8 vs. 0.24 ± 0.11; P=0.001). miRNA 370 had a sensitivity of 73% and specificity of 65% for the discrimination between AML and normal controls (area under the curve=0.80, 95% confidence interval=0.71–0.89). There was a significant association between miRNA 370 and FAB classification (P=0.001). Conclusion miRNA 370 is a potential diagnostic and prognostic marker for AML.