Copy Number Variations of EphA3 Are Associated With Multiple Types of Hematologic Malignancies

Background: EphA3 is a component of the Eph receptor family, the largest subgroup of the receptor tyrosine kinase (RTK) family. A recent array-based study implicated the presence of copy-number variations (CNVs) of EphA3 in the genomes of acute myelogenous leukemia. CNVs are present in the general population at varying degrees, and have been found to associate with various types of diseases including hematologic malignancies. However, most of the current studies focused on the genome-wide screening of CNVs, and the functional impact of such regions needs to be extensively investigated in large number of clinical samples. Patients and Methods: In our study, we collected 617 bone marrow samples from multiple types of hematologic malignancies as well as healthy controls. DNA copy numbers and mRNA levels of EphA3 in these samples were examined. Results: We found significant association between the CNVs of EphA3 and these hematologic malignancies including acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL), acute myelogenous leukemia (AML), chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL), chronic myelogenous leukemia (CML), multiple myeloma (MM), and myelodysplastic syndrome (MDS). We also observed a positive correlation between the relative mRNA level and gene dosage of EphA3. Conclusion: The CNVs of EphA3 were associated with multiple types of hematologic malignancies including ALL, AML, CLL, CML, MM, and MDS.