Integrated Evaluation of Inflammatory Chemokines and Angiogenic Markers in Acute Myeloid Leukemia

BACKGROUND: Acute myeloid leukemia is a hematological malignancy, characterized by abnormal proliferation of immature myeloid cells and impaired hematopoiesis. AIMS OF THE STUDY: Investigating the association of Monocyte Chemoattractant Protein-1 (MCP-1), Interleukin-8 (IL-8), tissue angiogenesis markers, and pathogenesis of acute myeloid leukemia (AML), and their potential role in the progression and prognosis of AML. METHODOLOGY: A case–control study that was carried out in Al-Habboubi Teaching Hospital, Iraq, from January 2024 to June 2025 to evaluate 100 participants diagnosed AML patients with 50 matched healthy controls. Blood was also taken to carry out complete blood count and serum tests. Biomarkers, measured with enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay and automated analyses, were MCP-1, IL-8, vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), angiopoietin-2, CRP, tumor necrosis factor-alpha, IL-6, ferritin, and lactate dehydrogenase. All the procedures were ethical as participants gave informed consent. RESULTS: Levels of MCP-1, IL-8, VEGF, and CD34 were significantly higher in the AML patients than in healthy controls ( P < 0.001). Serum levels of the MCP-1 and VEGF appeared to be significantly elevated in AML cases. There was also strong, positive correlation between MCP-1 and IL-8 and between VEGF and CD34, suggesting a possible interaction between inflammatory and angiogenic pathways in AML. Multivariable logistic regression analysis showed that MCP-1 was independently associated with AML when adjusted for potential confounding factors (adjusted OR = 1.465, P = 0.021). CONCLUSIONS: Significantly higher levels of MCP-1, IL-8, VEGF, and CD34 were found to be associated with inflammatory and angiogenic changes in AML patients. Higher MCP-1 levels also were independently associated with AML, possibly reflecting microenvironmental changes associated with leukemic cell survival and progression.