Dysregulation of miR-200s clusters as potential prognostic biomarkers in acute myeloid leukemia

BACKGROUND: Increasing studies showed that miR-200 family (miR-200s) clusters are aberrantly expressed in multiple human cancers, and miR-200s clusters function as tumor suppressor genes by affecting cell proliferation, self-renewal, differentiation, division and apoptosis. Herein, we aimed to investigate the expression and clinical implication of miR-200s clusters in acute myeloid leukemia (AML). METHODS: RT-qPCR was performed to detect expression of miR-200s clusters in 19 healthy donors, 98 newly diagnosed AML patients, and 35 AML patients achieved complete remission (CR). RESULTS: Expression of miR-200a/200b/429 cluster but not miR-200c/141 cluster was decreased in newly diagnosed AML patients as compared to healthy donors and AML patients achieved CR. Although no significant differences were observed between miR-200s clusters and most of the features, low expression of miR-200s clusters seems to be associated with higher white blood cells especially for miR-200a/200b. Of the five members of miR-200s clusters, low expression of miR-200b/429/200c was found to be associated with lower CR rate. Logistic regression analysis further revealed that low expression of miR-429 acted as an independent risk factor for CR in AML. Based on Kaplan–Meier analysis, low expression of miR-200b/429/200c was associated with shorter OS, whereas miR-200a/141 had a trend. Moreover, multivariate analysis of Cox regression models confirmed the independently prognostic value of miR-200b expression for OS in AML. CONCLUSIONS: Expression of miR-200a/200b/429 cluster was frequently down-regulated in AML, and low expression of miR-429 as an independent risk factor for CR, whereas low expression of miR-200b as an independent prognostic biomarker for OS. ELECTRONIC SUPPLEMENTARY MATERIAL: The online version of this article (10.1186/s12967-018-1494-7) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.