Increased expression of lung resistance-related protein and multidrug resistance-associated protein messenger RNA in childhood acute lymphoblastic leukemia

Immunophenotype might be an important indicator for multidrug resistance (MDR) profiles in childhood acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL). The authors analyzed the messenger RNA (mRNA) levels of MDR1, multidrug resistance-associated protein (MRP), and lung resistance-related protein (LRP) by reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) in childhood pre-B ALL, T-cell ALL, and acute nonlymphoblastic leukemia (ANLL). Results showed that MRP and LRP, but not MDR1, mRNAs are overexpressed, particularly in children with pre-B ALL compared with T-cell ALL and ANLL tested. In addition, the MRP and LRP mRNA expression levels in initial diagnosis and first relapse samples of one patient with pre-B ALL were similar. Consequently, these preliminary results suggest that the expression of these MDR-related genes in childhood ALL might be regulated differently in a lineage dependent manner.