OBJECTIVETo explore the role of heterogeneous nuclear ribonucleoprotein(hnRNP) K regulating autophagy in the drug resistance of acute myeloid leukemia, so as to provide a new molecular marker for treatment of leukemia.

METHODSThe relationship between the expression level of hnRNP K and the drug resistance of myeloid leukemia was verified by fluorescence quantitative PCR; the expression of autophagy related protein LC3I/ II was detected by Western blot after the hnRNP K was modulated by RNA interference technology; the sensitivity of leukemia cells to doxorubicin was analyzed before and after the expression of hnRNP K were modulatd.

RESULTSThe expression of hnRNP K and LC3I/II significantly increased in bone marrow nonremission patients and in drug resistant cell line, however, the expression of LC3I/ II decreased when the expression of hnRNP K were reduced, while the sensitivity of cells to adriamycin could be recovered.

CONCLUSIONhnRNP K may be involved in the formation of adriamycin resistance in acute myeloid leukemia by regulating autophagy.