Galectin-9: A Novel Tumor Marker for Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia in Iraqi Children

Abstract

Acute Lymphoblast Leukaemia (ALL) is the most common hematological malignancies during the childhood period, even with the improvement of treatment. The current study aimed to evaluate Galectin-9 (Gal-9) as prognostic and predictive factors in children patients with ALL. During the extended period from March 2019 and the end of February 2020, from the Medical City of Imam Al-Hussain Hospital/Central Laboratory of Hematology & Oncology in Holly Kerbala Governorate, Iraq.Gal-9 levels were measured in 31 patients in newly diagnosed with childhood ALL and 40 healthy controls, their age ranged between 1-12 years old before receiving treatment (at diagnosis) and during full set of chemotherapy. Results of the study showed significant elevations in WBCs, RBCs, Hgb, HCT, Plts, MCHC and Gal-9 levels in children with ALL in comparison to the healthy controls. Moreover, outcomes have shown a significant increase of Gal-9 levels in children males and females with ALL when compared with their peers in the subgroup of healthy controls (p=0.000). Conclusion: These results suggest that Gal-9 is possible to be prognostic and predictive factors in children patients with ALL by chasing the patients’ responses for chemotherapy, while, Gal-9 needs for extra studies to follow-up patients in larger cohorts allocated to the end of the treatment protocols assigned to them up to 3-5 years.