Expression of myelopoiesis-associated microRNA in bone marrow cells of atypical chronic myeloid leukaemia and chronic myelomonocytic leukaemia

The microRNA/miR deregulation in BCR-ABL-negative myelodysplastic-myeloproliferative neoplasms (MDS/MPN) is not known. Myelopoiesis-associated miR-10a, miR-17-5p, miR-155, miR-223 and miR-424 were analysed by real-time polymerase chain reaction (PCR) in bone marrow cells of atypical chronic myeloid leukaemia (aCML, n = 7) and chronic myelomonocytic leukaemia (CMML, n = 8) and were compared to BCR-ABL-positive chronic myelogenous leukaemia (CML, n = 10) and non-neoplastic haematopoiesis (n = 10). Down-regulation of miR-10a was found in CMML but also in CML (each p < 0.05, versus controls). Overexpression of miR-424 was detected in aCML (p < 0.05, versus CML and controls). Despite different compositions of bone marrow cells, expression of myelopoiesis-associated microRNA shows mainly similar patterns in aCML and its main differential diagnosis CMML and does not allow discrimination of these two MDS/MPN entities. Therefore, the link of deregulated microRNA expression to disease-related phenotype and the underlying molecular mechanism are still unknown.