OBJECTIVETo evaluate the role of Btk and NFκB in the incidence, development, prognosis and therapeutic efficacy for acute lymphoblastic leukemia(ALL) through detecting their expression in leukemia cells.

METHODSBone marrow samples from 51 ALL patients were collected, and the mononuclear cells were separated by Ficoll density gradient centrifugation. The expressions of Btk and NFκB at RNA and protein levels were detected by RT-PCR and Western blot respectively.

RESULTS(1)At protein level, Btk and NFκB were expressed in all newly diagnosed 51 ALL patients, among them 38 patients had higher expression level of Btk, 34 patients had high NFκB expression level. The expression of Btk and NFκB was higher in the cells from newly diagnosed ALL patients than that in the cells from patients in CR(P<0.05), and the expression of Btk and NFκB was higher in relapsed ALL patients. (2)The expression of Btk and NFκB in the ALL patients was followed-up higher expression of Btk: among the 38 newly diagnosed B-ALL cases, 27 experienced CR (71%) and 12 of which achieved CR after one course chemotherapy (one course CR) (31%). Moreover, 16 out of the 27 CR patients relapsed after a short period (less than 6 months) (59%). On the contrary, among the 13 patients with low Btk expression, 11 achieved CR (84.6%) after one course and 1 relapsed (8 months after CR) (7.6%). A similar pattern of NFκB expression was observed.

CONCLUSIONBtk and NFκ B may play an important role in the incidence and progression of ALL, possibly serving as the potential therapeutic targets of ALL and the indexes for prognosis.