High MALAT1 expression at diagnosis was associated with favorable prognostic markers and longer time to first treatment and overall survival in the IGHV-unmutated chronic lymphocytic leukemia subtype.
Observational (n=114)
Does MALAT1 expression level predict prognosis in newly diagnosed chronic lymphocytic leukemia patients?
High MALAT1 expression at diagnosis may serve as a favorable prognostic biomarker in chronic lymphocytic leukemia, particularly in the IGHV-unmutated subtype.
Dysregulated expression of the long non-coding RNA MALAT1 has been implicated in the pathogenesis and progression of a variety of cancers, including hematological malignancies, but it has been poorly investigated in chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL). In this study, the expression of MALAT1 was measured using a quantitative reverse-transcriptase polymerase chain reaction in the peripheral blood mononuclear cells of 114 unselected, newly diagnosed CLL patients in order to analyze its association with clinical, laboratory, and molecular patients’ characteristics at diagnosis, as well as its prognostic relevance. MALAT1 was found to be upregulated in CLL patients in comparison to healthy controls, and expression levels were not related to age, leukocyte, lymphocyte and platelet count, serum β2-microglobulin, and IGHV somatic hypermutational status. On the other hand, high MALAT1 expression was associated with several favorable prognostic markers (high hemoglobin, low serum lactate dehydrogenase, earlier clinical stages, CD38-negative status), but also with unfavorable cytogenetics. Furthermore, an association between high MALAT1 levels and longer time to first treatment and overall survival in IGHV-unmutated CLL subtype was observed. In summary, our results imply that high MALAT1 expression at diagnosis may be a predictor of better prognosis and point to MALAT1 expression profiling as a candidate biomarker potentially useful in clinical practice.
Tomić et al. (2024) conducted an observational in Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia (n=114). High MALAT1 expression vs. Low MALAT1 expression / healthy controls was evaluated on Association with clinical, laboratory, and molecular characteristics at diagnosis, and prognostic relevance (time to first treatment and overall survival). High MALAT1 expression at diagnosis was associated with favorable prognostic markers and longer time to first treatment and overall survival in the IGHV-unmutated chronic lymphocytic leukemia subtype.