Iranian journal of Pediatric Hematology and Oncology

en Changes in the Expression of DNMTs Before and After Treatment with Methotrexate (MTX)/Mercaptopurine (6-MP) in B-Cell ALL Children بیوشیمی biochemistry پژوهشي Research <div style="border:double windowtext 1.5pt; padding:1.0pt 4.0pt 1.0pt 4.0pt">Background: DNA methylation is catalyzed by DNA methyltransferases (DNMTs) which are encoded by DNMT1, DNMT3A, and DNMT3B. DNMTs play a major role in the abnormal methylation of tumor suppressors and cancer-related genes. Herein, this study explored the expression profile of DNMTs in pediatric patients with B-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL), before and after methotrexate (MTX)/mercaptopurine (6-MP) treatment. Materials and Methods: This before-after prospective study included 30 matched children in sex and age (20 children with B-cell ALL and 10 healthy children used as a control or calibrator group). The expression profile of DNMTs was assessed at two-time points; at the diagnosis time and after MTX/6-MP treatment in the consolidation-maintenance phase of therapy. Notable, all pediatric patients included in this study continued the therapy without adverse events, except two children who were excluded from the study. Results: The average age of the patient group was 7.1 ± 1.3 years (in the range of 4-9 years), and the average age of the control group was 8.3 ± 1.7 years (6-10 years). The expression profile of DNMTs in B-cell ALL children was obtained completely different from that in the healthy group. After MTX/6-MP treatment of B-cell ALL children, the expression levels of DNMT1 and 3A were increased (p <0.01 & 0.04, respectively), and the expression level of DNMT3B was decreased (p <0.01), significantly. Conclusions: In ALL, the expression profile of DNMTs would be changed whereby contribute to abnormal growth and maturation capacity of leukemic stem cells and MTX/6-MP treatment could reverse this profile from a cancerous phenotype to the normal one.DNA Methyltransferases (DNMTs), Methotrexate (MTX), Mercaptopurine (6-MP)</div> DNA Methyltransferases (DNMTs), Methotrexate (MTX), Mercaptopurine (6-MP) 78 93 http://ijpho.ssu.ac.ir/browse.php?a_code=A-10-178-1&slc_lang=en&sid=1 Mahmoud Imanei-Avaz 0000-0003-3907-2434 No International Campus of Shahid Sadoughi University of Medical Sciences, Yazd, Iran. International Campus of Shahid Sadoughi University of Medical Sciences, Yazd, Iran. Azam Sadat Hashemi 0009-0003-9314-3747 No Hematology & Oncology Research Center, Shahid Sadoughi University of Medical Sciences, Yazd, Iran. Hematology & Oncology Research Center, Shahid Sadoughi University of Medical Sciences, Yazd, Iran. Nasrin Ghasemi 0000-0002-1103-6004 No Abortion Research Center, Yazd Reproductive Sciences Institute, Shahid Sadoughi University of Medical Sciences, Yazd, Iran. Abortion Research Center, Yazd Reproductive Sciences Institute, Shahid Sadoughi University of Medical Sciences, Yazd, Iran. Seyed Hossein Hekmati Moghaddam 0000-0001-9859-3753 No Reproductive Immunology Research Center, Shahid Sadoughi University of Medical Sciences, Yazd, Iran Reproductive Immunology Research Center, Shahid Sadoughi University of Medical Sciences, Yazd, Iran Fatemeh Pourrajab 000-0002-1724-5392 Yes Department of Laboratory Sciences, School of Paramedicine, Shahid Sadoughi University of Medical Sciences, Yazd, Iran. Department of Laboratory Sciences, School of Paramedicine, Shahid Sadoughi University of Medical Sciences, Yazd, Iran. Kazem Barzegar 0000-0003-3907-2434 No English Language Department, School of Medicine, Shahid Sadoughi University of Medical Sciences, Yazd, Iran English Language Department, School of Medicine, Shahid Sadoughi University of Medical Sciences, Yazd, Iran Mahmood Vakili 0000-0002-0113-7100 No MD, MPH, Associate Professor in Community Medicine, Health Monitoring Research Center, School of Medicine, Shahid Sadoughi University of Medical Sciences, Yazd, Iran MD, MPH, Associate Professor in Community Medicine, Health Monitoring Research Center, School of Medicine, Shahid Sadoughi University of Medical Sciences, Yazd, Iran