Aberrant DNA Methylation in P1 Promoter Region of Tp53 Gene in Acute Leukemia

The present study was undertaken to investigate the aberrant DNA ethymlation in P1 promoter region of p53 gene in acute leukemia patients. The aberrant DNA methylation of Tp53 gene in fresh leukemia cells obtained from 31 newly diagnosed patients as well as monocyte leukemia U937 cells were detected by using polymerase chain reaction (PCR). The results revealed that aberrant DNA methylation in P1 promoter region of Tp53 was detectable in 12 cases of 31 leukemia patients (38.7%) as well as in U937 cells, while no aberrant DNA methylation of this gene was detected in normal control group (11 healthy volunteers), indicating that there was significant difference between acute leukemia patients and healthy donors (P=0.0183, Fisher’s exact test). Furthermore, no significant difference was found in acute myeloid leukemia (AML) and acute lymphoid leukemia (ALL) patients (35.2% vs 42.8%, P=0.7241, Fisher’s exact test). Our results, for the first time to our knowledge, provide laboratory evidence that aberrant DNA methylation in P1 promoter region of Tp53 gene is an common phenomenon in both AML and ALL patients, and that the significance of this special DNA methylation in acute leukemia needs further and profound investigation.