Gene expression analysis of noncoding PCA3 gene in patients with chronic myeloid leukemia

Introduction and Objectives: Nowadays, noncoding RNAs are of special significance to scientists. Among RNAs, long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs) have an important role in gene expression regulation. Recent studies show aberrant lncRNAs expression in different types of cancer including blood malignancies. As such, lncRNAs could be a possible way for diagnosis and treatment of certain cancers. In the current study, the level of PCA3 gene expression in patients with chronic myeloid leukemia (CML) was compared with normal individuals to find out whether the level of PCA3 in CML patients is increased according to our hypothesis. Materials and Methods: The buffy coat was collected from peripheral blood of thirty untreated CML patients (BCR-ABL positive) and twenty normal volunteers. RNA was extracted from white blood cells and cDNA was synthesized. The level of PCA3 gene expression was measured using quantitative reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction. Results: The results showed that PCA3 has expression in both normal and leukemic white blood cells. The data also revealed higher expression of PCA3 in leukemic patients, compared to the normal counterpart (P < 0.05). Conclusion: The unusual increase in PCA3 gene expression in CML patients suggests the need for more research on mechanisms of molecular pathways related to PCA3 which could help achieve better treatment.