Dysregulation of miR-125b predicts poor response to therapy in pediatric acute lymphoblastic leukemia

Background: Acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) is the most well-known sort of leukemia in children. In spite of favorable survival rates, some patients relapse and achieve a poor outcome. Methods: We analyzed miR-125b and Bcl-2 expressions in pediatric patients with ALL and evaluated their clinical utility as molecular markers for the prediction of disease outcomes. Results: Downregulation of miR-125b and increased Bcl-2 expression levels in pediatric patients with ALL were associated with poor prognosis at diagnosis. At day 28 of induction, miR-125b was significantly increased, whereas Bcl-2 was downregulated. Loss of miR-125b during diagnosis and its elevation after therapy are strongly correlated with short leukemia-free survival and worse survival. Moreover, the combination of miR-125b with Bcl-2 markers can clearly enhance the prediction of the disease outcome. Finally, a univariate analysis highlighted the independent prognostic value of miR-125 in a pediatric patient with ALL. Conclusions: miR-125b and Bcl-2 together are potent predictors for the prognosis and, therefore, can be used as therapeutic targets in childhood ALL.