Amplification of Zinc- Finger Protein 217 Gene in Multiple Myeloma Patients as a Prognostic Marker

Multiple myeloma (MM) is blood disorder characterized by the detection of a monoclonal paraprotein in serum or urine, which is often associated with the presence of clonal plasma cells (PCs) mainly in the bone marrow (BM) . MM is the second most common hematologic malignancy and is expected to cause ∼13 000 new cases and 30 000 deaths in 2018. Myeloma is a genetically complex disorder characterized by multiple genetic changes, affecting different pathways, that have the ability to deregulate plasma cell biology leading to a broadly similar phenotypic manifestation of disease. From a genetic perspective, myeloma can be divided into those with and without a hyperdiploid karyotype .The zinc-finger protein 217 (ZNF217) is an oncogenic protein that plays deleterious functions in various human cancers. The ZNF217 gene is located at the 20q13 chromosomal region, which is frequently amplified in human tumors . This region also contains several oncogenes thought to confer selective advantages to cancer cells. Increased copy numbers of ZNF217 have been reported in various tumors and linked to poor outcome in some studies . ZNF217 can attenuate apoptotic signals resulting from telomere dysfunction and may promote neoplastic transformation and later stages of malignancy. ZNF217 was shown to be a prognostic biomarker and therapeutic target during breast cancer progression. In our best knowledge, No studies were done to detect ZNF217 in multiple myeloma.