The prognostic utility of long non-coding RNAs in acute myeloid leukemia

Abstract

Purpose There is growing evidence of the crucial role of long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs), a novel class of gene expression regulators, in cancer initiation, development and progression. LncRNAs are emerging as important molecular players in multiple cancers, and deregulated lncRNAs expression has been shown to hold crucial triggers of the pathogenesis of numerous hematological malignancies. Several lncRNAs have been demonstrated to play a critical role in the tumorigenesis of acute myeloid leukemia (AML), and altered expression of certain lncRNAs has been recognized as a potential prognostic marker in AML patients. Colorectal neoplasia differentially expressed (CRNDE), an intergenic lncRNA, has been demonstrated to be upregulated in various neoplasms, and its overexpression has been found to be associated with poor prognosis in patients with a variety of malignancies, however, its utility as a prognostic marker in AML has not yet been well studied. Aldehyde oxidase 2 pseudogene (AOX2P), a pseudogene-derived lncRNA, has been shown to be overexpressed in pediatric AML patients, nevertheless, it remains unclear whether AOX2P expression can affect the clinical outcome of AML. Here, we sought to determine whether the expression of the lncRNAs CRNDE and AOX2P is associated with clinicopathological features, cytogenetic aberrations, recurrent mutations and treatment response, as well as outcome of adults with de novo AML.