OBJECTIVETo investigate whether WASP/Verprolin homologous protein 1 (WAVE1) plays a role in the pathogenesis of childhood acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL).

METHODSWAVE1 mRNA and protein expression in bone marrow mononuclear cells (BMMCs) was measured by RT-PCR and Western blotting respectively in 4 children with ALL relapse, 15 children with ALL in complete remission (CR) and 40 children with newly diagnosed ALL. Ten normal bone marrow samples were used as controls. Jurkat cells were treated with different concentrations of adriamycin (ADM). The cell proliferation was detected with MTT. The apoptosis rate was measured by flow cytometry. WAVE1 mRNA and protein expression of Jurkat cells treated with ADM was detected by RT-PCR and Western blotting respectively.

RESULTSWAVE1 was not expressed or weakly expressed in BMMCs from normal controls and patients with ALL in CR. Higher WAVE1 mRNA and protein expression was found in BMMCs from patients with newly diagnosed ALL and patients with relapse ALL when compared with the controls and the patients in CR (P<0.01). ADM significantly inhibited the proliferation of the Jurkat cells and the inhibitory effect was dose-and time-dependent (P<0.05). After ADM treatment for 24 hrs, the percentage of apoptosis cells increased significantly and WAVE1 mRNA and protein expression of Jurkat cells decreased significantly when compared with the untreated controls (P<0.05).

CONCLUSIONSThe WAVE1 expression increased in children with ALL. WAVE1 may be related to the development of ALL and may be severed as a marker for the evaluation of the severity of ALL in children.