Soluble HLA-G: A novel marker in acute myeloid leukemia patients

Objective: to study soluble HLA-G (sHLA-G) in Egyptian acute myeloid leukemia (AML) patients. HLA-G is speculated to be a tumor-driven immune escape mechanism. In addition, it might be a promising target for future immune therapeutic approaches. Methods: Thirty AML patients and 15 healthy controls of matched age and sex were the subject of the study. sHLA-G was done to all patients and controls by ELISA. Results: Statistically significant increase in sHLA-G level was present in AML patients compared to controls, being higher in relapsed cases. HLA-G levels was correlated to bone marrow blast percentages but not affected by age, gender, WBCs or response to chemotherapy. HLA-G had a sensitivity of 100% and a specificity of 62% to detect AML cases. Conclusion: HLA-G may be an additional marker for AML especially relapsed case