The Clinical Relevance and Prognostic Significance of Calcitonin Receptor-Like (CALCRL) Gene Expression in AML Patients

Document Type : Research Articles

Authors

1 Department of Clinical Pathology, Faculty of Medicine, Cairo University, Egypt.

2 Department of Medical Oncology, National Cancer Institute, Cairo University, Egypt.

3 Department of Clinical and Oncological Pathology, National Cancer Institute, Cairo University, Egypt.

Abstract

The outcome of acute myeloid leukemia (AML) is heterogeneous, with both patient-related and disease-related factors contributing to an individual patient’s likelihood of achieving a therapeutic response and survival. The Calcitonin Receptor-Like (CALCRL) gene, which encodes the calcitonin receptor-like receptor, has emerged as a point of interest in studying AML. Its expression levels may hold clinical relevance and contribute to the prognostic assessment of AML patients. In the current study, we evaluated CALCRL gene expression levels to verify their possible association with the clinical and laboratory characteristics of AML and to clarify its potential role as a molecular prognostic marker in a cohort of Egyptian AML patients. Methods: CALCRL gene expression was estimated in 80 newly diagnosed adult Egyptian AML patients by quantitative reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR). Results: CALCRL gene expression in AML cases ranged from 0.11 to 104.11, with a median value of 2.1. It was higher in AML cases compared to controls; however, the difference was not statistically significant. AML cases were stratified into high and low CALCRL expression groups. Overall survival (OS) was higher in CALCRL-low compared to CALCRL-high expressers, yet the difference was not statistically significant. There was no statistical difference between CALCRL-high and CALCRL-low expressers regarding their complete remission rate (CR) and relapse-free survival (RFS). However, the incidence of relapse was higher in CALCRL-low expressers. In our study, the median age of the AML cases was 43 years. OS was significantly longer in CALCRL-low expressers, while RFS was significantly longer in CALCRL-high expressers younger than 43 years old. Conclusion: Studying CALCRL gene expression in larger cohorts and over longer follow-up periods is highly recommended to gain deeper insight into its functional role in oncogenesis and chemoresistance, as well as its potential as a molecular prognostic marker and future therapeutic target.

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Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
Volume 27, Issue 1
January 2026
Pages 79-86

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History

  • Receive Date: 20 January 2025
  • Revise Date: 22 March 2025
  • Accept Date: 06 January 2026

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