Expression of CDK9 in Newly Diagnosed Patients with Acute Myeloid Leukemia and its Clinical Significance.

BACKGROUND

This study investigated the role of cyclin-dependent kinase 9 (CDK9) expression levels and prognosis in acute myeloid leukemia (AML) by examining its expression at the time of initial diagnosis.

METHODS

Bone marrow samples from 60 AML patients were collected for the observation group, with 20 normal human bone marrow samples serving as controls. Clinical and pathological data were gathered from the AML pa-tients. Real-time quantitative PCR (RT-qPCR) was employed to measure CDK9 expression levels in both groups, and the association between CDK9 expression, clinical characteristics, and prognosis in AML patients was analyzed. Kaplan-Meier curves were used to assess the impact of CDK9 on overall survival (OS) in AML, while Cox regression analysis was performed to identify prognostic factors in AML patients.

RESULTS

The expression of CDK9 was significantly elevated in AML patients, compared to the control group (p < 0.05). High CDK9 expression was associated with increased white blood cell (WBC) count, poor treatment response, and worse prognosis compared to low expression (p < 0.05). Additionally, patients with high CDK9 expression exhibited significantly shortened OS compared to those with low expression (p < 0.05). High CDK9 expression emerged as an independent risk factor influencing prognosis in AML.

CONCLUSIONS

CDK9 is markedly upregulated in AML patients, suggesting its potential utility as both a prognostic indicator and a therapeutic target, particularly for patients with unfavorable clinical and pathological characteristics and poor prognosis.