Background & objective: Acute lymphocytic leukemia(ALL), which is sensitive to tumor necrosis factor (TNF) is one of hematological malignances derived from lymphoid tissue. Genetic polymorphisms in the tumor necrosis factor (TNF) locus can affect transcription and expression of TNF genes. This study was designed to investigate the relationship between -308 bp polymorphism in tumor necrosis factor-alpha(TNFalpha) gene and +252 bp in lymphotoxin-alpha(LTalpha) gene and the pathogenesis, clinical course, and outcome of ALL.
Methods: The single base mutation polymorphism in TNFalpha gene and LTalpha gene were analyzed among 29 Chinese patients with ALL and 72 normal controls using polymerase chain reaction (PCR)-restrictive fragment length polymorphism (RFLP). The clinical data were collected and survival analysis was performed.
Results: The difference of distribution of genotypes, alleles of TNFalpha(-308), LTalpha(+252), and TNF/LT polymorphic extended haplotypes between the ALL patients and control group were not statistically significant (P >0.05). In patients, no statistically significant association was found between the presence of a given TNF/LT haplotype status and clinical characters such as sex, white blood cell (WBC) counts, central nervous system involvement, and the response to therapy(P >0.05). The estimated 1-year overall survival rates in the groups of patients carrying high-risk and low-risk haplotypes were not statistically significant (P >0.05) using Kaplan-Meier method. In multivariate Cox regression models the TNF/LT haplotype status was not found to be a risk factor for outcome (P >0.05).
Conclusion: These data suggest that genetic polymorphisms in the TNFalpha(-308) and LTalpha(+252) are not crucial in the pathogenesis, clinical course, and outcome of ALL patients.