Expression of the DCC Gene in Human Hematological Malignancies

Inactivation of the deleted in colorectal carcinoma (DCC) tumor suppressor gene has been reported not only in colorectal carcinoma but also in other human malignancies. In order to evaluate the role of the DCC gene in leukemogenesis, we examined DCC expression using the reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) method. Expression of the DCC gene was reduced or absent in 10 of 39 (26%) patients with acute myelogenous leukemia (AML), three of 14 (29%) patients with acute lymphocytic leukemia (ALL), seven of 33 (21%) patients with chronic myelogenous leukemia (CML), three of 39 (8%) patients with myelodysplastic syndromes (MDS), and five of nine (56%) patients with overt leukemia progressed from MDS. These findings suggest that inactivation of the DCC gene contributes to some instances of leukemogenesis.