LYMPHOCYTES DNA CONTENT, P53, C-MYC AND BCL-2 AS PREDICTIVE MARKERS IN CHILDHOOD WITH ACUTE LYMPHOBLASTIC LEUKEMIA

Cell cycle parameters as well as apoptotic and tumor markers directly control cell growth. DNA ploidy and S phase fraction, apoptosis fraction in addition to apoptotic inducer (p53, c-myc) and antiapoptoticmarker (Bcl-2) were investigated in childhood with acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) leukemia as a predictive markers represented in survival data. This study included 70 children with (ALL); 38 males and 32 females; of median age 5 years. Event free survival (EFS) and overall survival (OS) were estimated for all studied cases. Cell cycle and apoptotic parameters as well as p53, c-myc and Bcl-2 were analyzed using FACS caliber flow cytometer in the lymphocyte cells of peripheral blood. Aneuploidy constituted 33% of studied cases. The median overall survival (OS) showed higher significant values when S% was 4.5%, and DNA index was ≥0.94 and p53 was 70.87, whereas it showed no significant difference related to G0/G1%, G2/M% and aneuploidy %. The median event free survival (EFS) showed significant higher value at Bcl-2 ≥81.5 but with no significance related to other cell cycle parameters as well as p53 and c-myc. These data suggest that DNA index, S phase fraction, p53 and Bcl-2 may be useful as a predictive markers that help patients stratification and adjusting protocols of ALL therapy.