Juvenile myelo-monocytic leukemia (JMML): No effect of granulocyte monocyte-colony stimulating factor (GM-CSF) on Wilms Tumor gene (WT1) by nested Polymerase Chain Reaction (nPCR) and flow cytometry

This study was to determine whether GM-CSF induced WT1 gene expression and to establish an association with markers of proliferation CD71+CD34+ using nPCR and flow cytometry respectively, in samples obtained from 5 newly diagnosed JMML patients. Overtime (day 0 to day 14) there was an insignificant difference in WT1 gene expression and CD71+CD34+ in JMML samples when compared to peripheral blood of normal volunteers (n = 3). Our study suggests that there is a correlation between WT1 gene expression and cellular proliferation and that GMCSF in vitro does not create a significant difference in JMML samples.