Neutrophil Extracellular Traps: A New Tool that Reflects the Progression of Tumor Status in Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia Patients

Acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) is a malignant proliferation of immature lymphocytes known as lymphoblast that causes them to build up in several organs, including the bone marrow and blood. Cancer cells use Neutrophil Extracellular Traps (NETs) as a key component of their immune evasion strategies. The goal of the study is to estimate NETs levels in pediatric patients with ALL, as it is a promising immunological marker for tumor diagnosis and disease progression. A total of 80 children aged 1 to 14 years diagnosed with acute lymphoblastic leukemia were selected, alongside 40 healthy children served as the control group. The samples from ALL patients were split into three groups based on the duration of the disease. Serum levels of NETs were ascertained using the ELISA technique. The results showed a significant increase in the levels of NETs among ALL patients (Mean ±SD 1125.400 ± 739.165 ng/ml) compared to the control group (Mean±SD 622.363 ± 127.983 ng/ml) with P≤0.05.

 Additionally, no significant differences in NETs were observed among the three disease groups, as the p-value associated with Duncan test was 0.33. However, both the Less than 1 year and more than 2 years showed a significant increase in NETs levels compared with the control group, according to Duncan’s test.  The findings suggest that NETs were able to reverse the progression of the tumor during the treatment stages.