CIRCULATING microRNA‑146a EXPRESSION IN PEDIATRIC ACUTE LYMPHOBLASTIC LEUKEMIA: CORRELATION WITH DISEASE CHARACTERISTICS

Abstract

1. Introduction Acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) is the most common malignancy in pediatric age group. Despite dramatic improvements in overall survival rates, now exceeding 90% in ALL, relapse and chemoresistance persist as leading causes of treatment failure, highlighting the necessity for ongoing genomic and epigenomic research in order to refine risk stratification, therapeutic precision, and subsequently clinical outcomes.MicroRNAs are a class of short non-coding RNAs that regulate several targets, hence having a wide range of physiological as well as pathological impacts.Due to their high stability in plasma samples, miRNAs are promising blood-based biomarkers.MicroRNA-146a is turning into a noteworthy biomarker for diagnosis and prognosis of many diseases. Its principal function is regulating hematopoiesis and innate immune system functions.Numerous studies have reported that miR-146a plays a role in the initiation and persistence of neoplastic processes, however, there is limited literature on the role of miR-146a in ALL, warranting further investigation.2. Aim The aim of the work was to study the expression of miR 146a in plasma of pediatric acute lymphoblastic leukemia patients and its relation to disease characteristics.