Abstract
BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE: Acute myeloid leukemia (AML) is a hematological malignancy marked by the abnormal proliferation of myeloid precursor cells (blasts) in the bone marrow and peripheral blood, leading to disrupted blood cell production. The telomerase reverse transcriptase (hTERT), a key component of the telomerase enzyme, is often overexpressed in various cancers, including AML, contributing to cellular immortality. This study aimed to investigate the expression levels of the hTERT gene, serum protein concentrations, and hematological parameters in newly diagnosed AML patients, comparing these findings to AML patients in remission and healthy controls. METHODS: Blood samples were collected from three groups: 10 newly diagnosed AML patients, 35 AML patients in remission, and 40 healthy controls. Hematological parameters, including white blood cell (WBC), red blood cell (RBC), platelet (PLT), and hemoglobin (Hb) levels, were measured. Serum hTERT protein concentrations were analyzed using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA), and hTERT gene expression was assessed through reverse transcription-quantitative PCR (RT-qPCR). RESULT: The study demonstrated that newly diagnosed AML patients had significantly higher hTERT gene expression and serum protein levels compared to both remission patients and healthy individuals. Hematological analyses revealed elevated WBC counts alongside reduced RBC, PLT, and Hb levels in AML patients relative to controls. CONCLUSION: Increased hTERT expression and serum protein levels are valuable biomarkers for diagnosing and monitoring AML. These findings highlight the therapeutic potential of targeting hTERT and underscore the importance of conducting further studies on larger patient cohorts to validate these results.