[Expressions of transcription factor GATA-1 and GATA-2 genes in bone marrow stromal cells from patients with leukemia].

In order to investigate expressions of transcription factor GATA-1 and GATA-2 genes in the bone marrow stromal cells (BMSCs) from patients with leukemia or normal controls, bone marrow stromal cells from 34 normal cases and 42 cases with leukemia were cultured long-term in vitro. Nonadherent cells (bone marrow hematopoietic cells) and amplified adherent cells (BMSC) were collected separately. Expressions of GATA-1 and GATA-2 genes were analyzed by using RT-PCR-ELISA; the semi-quantitative expression levels of GATA genes in the BMSCs from patients with leukemia were compared with normal controls. The results showed that expressions of GATA-1 and GATA-2 genes could be detected in the BMSCs and the bone marrow hematopoietic cells from both normal controls and the cases of leukemia. The expression ratio of GATA-1 in the BMSCs from acute lymphocytic leukemia (ALL) (85.7%) was similar to the normal controls (88.2%), whereas the expression ratios in BMSCs from acute myelocytic leukemia (AML) (55.6%) and chronic myelocytic leukemia (CML) (41.2%) were significant lower than the normal controls (P < 0.05). The rank of expression level of GATA-1 gene in the BMSCs was "ALL>AML>normal>CML". There was no difference in the expression level of GATA-2 gene within the BMSCs from normal controls and patients with leukemia. The ranks of expression levels of GATA-1 and GATA-2 genes in bone marrow hematopoietic cells were "AML>normal>ALL>CML" and "AML>CML>ALL>normal". The dominant expression of GATA-2 gene was found in the BMSCs from AML, CML or normal controls. It is inferred that the expressions of GATA-1 and GATA-2 genes in the BMSCs of normal controls and patients with leukemia may influence the regulation of hematopoiesis in the bone marrow stroma and it is worthy of further study to explore their roles in pathogenesis and development of leukemia.