Objective: Investigation of the underlying mechanisms involved in disease pathogenesis can open new insights into therapeutic strategies for patients with acute myeloblastic leukemia. A genetic mutation in TP53 (Tumor Protein 53) gene is detected in most malignancies and considered a key element in the determination of treatment planning due to its prognostic value; however, there are insufficient data for the evaluation of the amount of p53 expression as the product of the TP53 gene especially in hematologic malignancies such as acute myeloid leukemia (AML). The aim of this study was to evaluate p53 expression deregulation, according to different subtypes of acute myeloid leukemia.

Patients and Methods: Eighty-two new cases of AML and twelve healthy, normal control volunteers entered into this study with informed consent. The levels of p53 expression were examined using relative quantitative Real-time PCR (polymerase chain reaction). Statistical analyses were performed by t-test, one-way ANOVA and Tukey test using SPSS software.

Results: M3 and non M3 groups had a significant decrease in p53 expression in comparison with normal controls (30% and 20% of normal levels, respectively). Also, M3 patients showed apparently higher levels of p53 expression compared with other subtypes of AML.

Conclusions: According to the results of the present study, there is an overall reduction in the level of p53 expression in patients with AML, meanwhile p53 showed differential expression in AML subtypes and M3 subtype showed higher expression in comparison with other AML subtypes. It suggests that p53 expression has a possible relation with granulocyte maturation and prognosis. Further investigations are needed to clarify the exact role of p53 expression fluctuations in AML patients as basic molecular events in malignant cells.