Abstract
We explored the relationship between neuron-specific enolase (NSE) levels and the clinical features of acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL). Seventy ALL patients and forty-two healthy controls were enrolled in this study, and their serum NSE levels were measured using an electrochemiluminescence assay. The serum NSE concentration was higher in ALL patients than in healthy controls. In ALL patients, the mean serum NSE level declined after complete remission (CR) but increased with relapse. In addition, the mean serum NSE level was lower in the CR group than in the non-CR group. High NSE levels were associated with poorer progression-free and overall survival than low NSE levels. Serum NSE levels closely correlated with several clinical features, including the immunophenotype, risk stratification and serum lactate dehydrogenase levels. Multivariate analysis revealed that high NSE expression was an independent prognostic factor in adult ALL patients. NSE mRNA levels were also higher in ALL cell lines and bone marrow mononuclear cells from ALL patients than in control cells. These results suggested that NSE could be a clinical prognostic factor and a potential therapeutic target in ALL.
Highlights
Acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) is a malignant disease of the bone marrow in which early lymphoid precursors proliferate and take the place of normal hematopoietic cells in the bone marrow [1, 2]
We explored the relationship between neuron-specific enolase (NSE) levels and the clinical features of acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL)
We investigated the expression of NSE in ALL cell lines and bone marrow mononuclear cells (BM-MCs) from ALL patients
Summary
Acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) is a malignant disease of the bone marrow in which early lymphoid precursors proliferate and take the place of normal hematopoietic cells in the bone marrow [1, 2]. ALL mostly occurs in children, and the five-year event-free survival rate is greater than 80% in patients who receive standard protocol treatment [3]. Intensified chemotherapy protocols may result in 70-90% remission in adult ALL patients, the long-term survival rate is extremely low, around 40% [4,5,6]. When a therapeutic plan is designed for adults with ALL, several clinical and genetic factors must be considered, such as age, white blood cell (WBC) count, minimal residual disease, and genetic features [4, 7, 8]. ALL is a disorder with clinical and biological heterogeneity. Additional biological markers remain to be discovered and will be required in order to optimize the classification and treatment of patients
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