Changes in the expression and methylation levels of the MMP-2, MMP-9, TIMP-1, TIMP-2 and VEGF-A genes in children with acute lymphoblastic leukemia

Purpose: The aim of this article is to show the expression and methylation levels of matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs), tissue inhibitors of metalloproteinases (TIMPs) and vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF)genes in patients diagnosed with childhood acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) and their relationship with clinical findings. Materials and Methods: In this study, we determined the expression level and methylation percentage of MMP2, MMP9, TIMP1, TIMP2 and VEGF-A genes between patients with childhood ALL and healthy children. Expression and methylation analyzes were performed by RT-PCR. The results of MMP2, MMP9, TIMP1, TIMP2, VEGF-A and other clinical parameters were compared between the two groups. Results: The expression levels of MMP2 (2.55-fold), MMP9 (5.06-fold), TIMP1 (2.91-fold) and VEGF-A (4.76-fold) was significantly higher in the patients, but the same results were not found for TIMP-2. The methylation levels of MMP2 (29.74%), MMP9 (30.98%), TIMP2 (11.91%) and VEGF-A (6.55%) were significantly higher in the patients than in the controls. Conclusion: MMP2, MMP9 and VEGF-A genes have high expression and methylation levels. These results make this complex structure intriguing in childhood ALL for further studies and reinforce the emphasis that it should be investigated.