The impact of tumor necrosis factor receptor superfamily member 4 mRNA gene expression on patients with chronic lymphocytic leukemia

Objectives This study aimed to determine the role of tumor necrosis factor receptor superfamily member 4 (TNFRSF4) mRNA relative gene expression in chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) patients, and the link between that gene expression and the need to initiate and respond to treatment. Patients and methods Fifty newly diagnosed CLL patients and 50 healthy participants were included. TNFRSF4 mRNA relative gene expression was detected in their peripheral blood mononuclear cells by PCR. Results CLL patients had a significantly higher TNFRSF4 relative gene expression compared to healthy participants, high TNFRSF4 expression was positively associated with CLL adverse markers and poor response to first-line therapy. Also, by regression analyses, TNFRSF4 relative gene expression is an independent predictor of treatment requirements, and combining TNFRSF4 with a disease-stage model demonstrates the highest discriminative performance to identify those who need treatment. Conclusions TNFRSF4 gene expression was an independent predictor of treatment requirement in CLL patients, and high expression is linked to poor response to first-line therapy. Combining TNFRSF4 expression with disease stage demonstrated the highest discriminative performance for those who required treatment.