The expression and regulation of HOX genes and membrane proteins among different cytogenetic groups of acute myeloid leukemia

Abstract

Abstract Background The cytogenetic aberrations were considered as markers for diagnosis and prognosis in acute myeloid leukemia (AML), while the expression and regulation under different cytogenetic groups remain to be fully elucidated. Methods In this paper, for favorable, poor, and cytogenetically normal groups of AML patients, we performed comprehensive bioinformatics analyses including identifying differentially expressed genes (DEGs) and microRNAs (miRNAs) among them, functional enrichment and regulatory networks. Results We found that DEGs were enriched in membrane‐related processes. Eleven genes and two miRNAs were significantly differentially expressed among these three AML groups. In survival analysis, membrane‐related genes and several miRNAs were significant on prognostic outcome. Notably, six HOXA and three HOXB genes were significantly in low expression and high methylation in AML with favorable cytogenetics. Meanwhile, the miRNA‐HOX gene co‐regulatory networks revealed that HOXA5 was a hub node and regulated an AML oncogene SPARC. Conclusion Our work may provide novel insights to the molecular characteristics and classification between AML with different cytogenetics.

Keywords

• acute myeloid leukemia
• cytogenetics aberration
• gene co‐regulatory network
• HOX gene
• membrane protein