Background: Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia (ALL) is the most common pediatric malignancy and the leading cause of childhood death in contrast to the 90% cure rate. ALL includes different subtypes described by interrupt collections of somatic chromosomal alterations and sequence mutations that disrupt normal body functions such as lymphoid maturation, cell-cycle regulation, and tumor suppression. Having a significant role in several cancers, the high mobility group box-1 (HMGB1) gene is considered an important gene in the development of tumors. Methods: Herein, the genetic role of HMGB1 was studied in the 49 Iranian patients with newly diagnosed ALL using Sanger sequencing of HMGB1 coding regions (exons 2 to 5). Results: The results showed that none of the subjects in the study had any promising variants in the coding sequences of the HMGB1. Conclusion: These findings suggest that HMGB1 is not directly associated with ALL incidence and behavior. Further investigations using a large group of patients with different races and ethnicities are required to analyze the possible role of HMGB1 gene polymorphisms in ALL patients.

Leukemia is the most common childhood cancer and accounts for 30-40% of all malignancies. A retrospective review was performed of the hospital records of 9 children, 6 boys and 3 girls, aged from 2.5 to 15 years with ALL initially referred to Nemazee hospital Nuclear medicine center for whole body bone scanning between 2000 and 2002. Bone marrow pathology established ALL (L1) in two and ALL (L2) in 7 patients. All patients had abnormal bone scans involving both appendicular and axial skeletons. These comprised axial skeleton in one, appendicular in seven and both appendicular and axial in one patient. Knowledge of scitigraphic changes acquired in the setting of ALL will expedite the early diagnosis of Leukemia at presentation. The potential use of bone scintigraphy is important in that, the correct diagnosis is made on bone scan and confirmed by the examination of blood film, bone marrow aspirate and trephine.