The miR-200c/141-ZEB2-TGFβ axis is aberrant in human T-cell prolymphocytic leukemia

Haematologica. 2022 Jan 1;107(1):143-153. doi: 10.3324/haematol.2020.263756.

Abstract

T-cell prolymphocytic leukemia (T-PLL) is mostly characterized by aberrant expansion of small- to medium-sized prolymphocytes with a mature post-thymic phenotype, high aggressiveness of the disease and poor prognosis. However, T-PLL is more heterogeneous with a wide range of clinical, morphological, and molecular features, which occasionally impedes the diagnosis. We hypothesized that T-PLL consists of phenotypic and/or genotypic subgroups that may explain the heterogeneity of the disease. Multi-dimensional immuno-phenotyping and gene expression profiling did not reveal clear T-PLL subgroups, and no clear T-cell receptor a or β CDR3 skewing was observed between different T-PLL cases. We revealed that the expression of microRNA (miRNA) is aberrant and often heterogeneous in T-PLL. We identified 35 miRNA that were aberrantly expressed in T-PLL with miR-200c/141 as the most differentially expressed cluster. High miR- 200c/141 and miR-181a/181b expression was significantly correlated with increased white blood cell counts and poor survival. Furthermore, we found that overexpression of miR-200c/141 correlated with downregulation of their targets ZEB2 and TGFβR3 and aberrant TGFβ1- induced phosphorylated SMAD2 (p-SMAD2) and p-SMAD3, indicating that the TGFβ pathway is affected in T-PLL. Our results thus highlight the potential role for aberrantly expressed oncogenic miRNA in T-PLL and pave the way for new therapeutic targets in this disease.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Gene Expression Profiling
  • Humans
  • Leukemia, Prolymphocytic, T-Cell* / diagnosis
  • Leukemia, Prolymphocytic, T-Cell* / genetics
  • Leukemia, Prolymphocytic, T-Cell* / therapy
  • Lymphocytes
  • MicroRNAs* / genetics
  • Transforming Growth Factor beta
  • Zinc Finger E-box Binding Homeobox 2 / genetics

Substances

  • MIRN200 microRNA, human
  • MicroRNAs
  • Transforming Growth Factor beta
  • ZEB2 protein, human
  • Zinc Finger E-box Binding Homeobox 2

Grants and funding

Funding: This work was supported an unrestricted grant from Bayer, Mijdrecht, the Netherlands (to MCKK, KvL, and AWL). CJS and IVZ are supported by Dutch Cancer Society (KWF), grant number: 10948.