Alpha- and beta-synucleins are new diagnostic tools for acute erythroid leukemia and acute megakaryoblastic leukemia

Am J Hematol. 2011 Feb;86(2):230-4. doi: 10.1002/ajh.21932.

Abstract

α-Synuclein is a key component of the Lewy body, a large globular protein complex that forms in the nervous system of patients with Parkinson disease and other dementias [1-3]. Since α-synuclein also occurs in megakaryocytic and erythroid lineages [4-7], we wondered what role synucleins had in the hematopoietic system. Therefore, we studied the expression of α-, β-, and γ-synucleins in a comprehensive panel of patient bone marrows and leukemic cell lines. We observed under expression of α-synuclein in the megakaryocytes of myeloproliferative neoplasm (MPN), but not normal reactive marrow (NRM) or myelodysplastic syndrome (MDS). Conversely, we observed over expression of β-synuclein in the blasts of megakaryoblastic leukemias (MegL), but not acute myeloid leukemia (AML) or erythroleukemia (EryL), suggesting that α- and β-synucleins could be useful adjunct markers for the early detection of MDS and the differential diagnosis of EryL and MegL from other AMLs.

MeSH terms

  • Adult
  • Aged
  • Aged, 80 and over
  • Biomarkers / metabolism
  • Bone Marrow / metabolism*
  • Bone Marrow / pathology
  • Cell Line, Tumor
  • Child
  • Child, Preschool
  • Diagnosis, Differential
  • Early Detection of Cancer / methods
  • Female
  • Humans
  • Leukemia / diagnosis
  • Leukemia / metabolism
  • Leukemia / pathology
  • Leukemia, Erythroblastic, Acute / diagnosis*
  • Leukemia, Erythroblastic, Acute / metabolism*
  • Leukemia, Erythroblastic, Acute / pathology
  • Leukemia, Megakaryoblastic, Acute / diagnosis*
  • Leukemia, Megakaryoblastic, Acute / metabolism*
  • Leukemia, Megakaryoblastic, Acute / pathology
  • Male
  • Megakaryocyte-Erythroid Progenitor Cells / metabolism
  • Megakaryocyte-Erythroid Progenitor Cells / pathology
  • Middle Aged
  • Neoplasm Proteins / metabolism
  • alpha-Synuclein / metabolism*
  • beta-Synuclein / metabolism*
  • gamma-Synuclein / metabolism

Substances

  • Biomarkers
  • Neoplasm Proteins
  • SNCA protein, human
  • SNCB protein, human
  • SNCG protein, human
  • alpha-Synuclein
  • beta-Synuclein
  • gamma-Synuclein