Smac/DIABLO gene expression in acute myeloid leukemia patients

Background: Smac/DIABLO enhances apoptosis by antagonizing the inhibitors of apoptotic proteins. The expression of Smac/DIABLO in different cancers has been reported. The study aimed to evaluate Smac/DIABLO gene expression in patients with acute myeloid leukemia (AML) and also to determine its relation to the clinical outcome and survival of these patients. Materials and methods: Smac/DIABLO gene expression was studied using real-time PCR in bone marrow samples from 70 newly diagnosed AML patients.Results: The Smac/DIABLO gene was expressed in 88.5% of AML patients. A total of 32 patients (51.6%) with positive Smac/DIABLO expression responded to treatment, and the remaining 30 patients (48.4%) were treatment resistant. Smac/DIABLO expression was associated with decreased lactate dehydrogenase levels and increased disease-free survival (P=0.01 and P 0.001, respectively). The expression was associated with an increase in the survival rate (P 0.05).Conclusion: There was an increase of Smac/DIABLO expression in AML patients, and this was associated with the treatment response, increased disease-free survival, and better overall survival.