Genes and GOs distinguishing AML samples with a high versus low VEGFC mRNA expression level. (A) The transcriptome of 262 adult AML samples with high VEGFC was compared with the transcriptome of 262 adult AML samples with low VEGFC mRNA expression level. This comparison showed 459 unique genes that were higher expressed in the high VEGFC group (Up-with-VEGFC group), and 192 unique genes that were lower expressed in the high VEGFC group (Down-with-VEGFC group) at the significance level of P < .001. The GEP cohort of 100 pediatric AML samples was used to validate the differentially expressed unique genes between samples with high versus low VEGFC (ie, validation step 1). Hereafter, an independent publicly available cohort of 180 adult AML samples was used (ie, validation step 2).20 After 2 validation steps 331 unique genes were found to be higher expressed in patients with AML with high compared with low VEGFC, and 44 unique genes were found to be lower expressed in patients with AML with high VEGFC compared with patients with AML with low VEGFC. (B) Biologic processes (represented by GOs) enriched among the 331 (Up-with-VEGFC) and 44 (Down-with-VEGFC) differentially expressed unique genes showed 105 significantly Up-with-VEGFC and 56 significantly Down-with-VEGFC GOs at the significance level of P < .05.
