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CC BY-NC-ND 4.0 · Indian J Med Paediatr Oncol 2020; 41(06): 859-868
DOI: 10.4103/ijmpo.ijmpo_215_20
Original Article

Brain and Acute Leukemia, Cytoplasmic Gene Overexpression as a Prognostic Factor in Egyptian De novo Adult Acute Myeloid Leukemia Patients

Ahmed A Alnagar
Department of Medical Oncology, Faculty of Medicine, Zagazig University, Zagazig, Egypt
,
Hesham M Al Hagrassy
Department of Clinical Pathology, Faculty of Medicine, Zagazig University, Zagazig, Egypt
,
Rania M Abdullah
Department of Clinical Pathology, Faculty of Medicine, Zagazig University, Zagazig, Egypt
,
Reham M El Shabrawy
Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Faculty of Medicine, Zagazig University, Zagazig, Egypt
,
Hossam Salah
Department of Clinical Pathology, Faculty of Medicine, Zagazig University, Zagazig, Egypt
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Abstract

Background: Brain and acute leukemia, cytoplasmic (BAALC) gene is identified on chromosome 8q22.3 and implicated in normal hematopoiesis. BAALC gene overexpression is associated with poor outcome. Methods: We aimed to evaluate BAALC expression in de novo Egyptian acute myeloid leukemia (AML) cases and determine its prognostic value. We recruited 70 patients with de novo AML diagnosed and treated at clinical pathology and medical oncology departments, fulfilling inclusion criteria in our prospective study and evaluated BAALC expression level. Patients received induction therapy. The Institutional Review Board approved our study. Results: The mean age was 39.2 years ± 11.87, (18–60) with a male/female ratio of 3/2. The cutoff value of BAALC as a prognostic factor was 2.11 with sensitivity (86.1%), specificity (80%), positive predictive value (88.6%), and negative predictive value (76.2%.) (P < 0.001), 43 (61.4%) patients had high BAALC expression. Seventy-two percent of patients in the low BAALC group achieved complete remission (CR) compared to 42.1% in high BAALC expression group (P = 0.03). Patients with low BAALC (123.1 ± 4.9) had longer mean survival time than high BAALC group (45.85 ± 5.1) (P = 0.000). Conclusion: High-BAALC expression is an adverse prognostic factor, with a higher risk of relapse, lower CR rates, and lower survival in Egyptian de novo AML patients.

Keywords

Acute myeloid leukemia - adult - brain and acute leukemia - cytoplasmic - de novo - prognostic


Publication History

Received: 05 May 2020

Accepted: 02 October 2020

Article published online:
14 May 2021

© 2020. Indian Society of Medical and Paediatric Oncology. This is an open access article published by Thieme under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution-NonDerivative-NonCommercial-License, permitting copying and reproduction so long as the original work is given appropriate credit. Contents may not be used for commercial purposes, or adapted, remixed, transformed or built upon. (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/.)

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