RATIONALE: Studying samples of blood and bone marrow from patients with cancer in the laboratory may help doctors learn more about changes that occur in DNA and identify biomarkers related to cancer.

PURPOSE: This research study is looking at blood and bone marrow samples from patients with previously untreated primary acute myeloid leukemia.

OBJECTIVES:

• Determine whether calmodulin-dependent protein kinase II-γ (CaMKIIγ) activation (autophosphorylation) is associated with specific clinicopathological variables and outcomes in blood and bone marrow samples from patients with previously untreated primary acute myeloid leukemia.

OUTLINE: Blood and bone marrow samples are analyzed by western blot using SDS-PAGE and immunoblotting using anti-calmodulin-dependent protein kinase II-γ (CaMKIIγ) and anti-phosphospecific (Thr286, 287) CaMKIIγ antibodies with signals detected via chemiluminescence. CaMKIIγ activation levels are linked to clinical variables within the SWOG database.

DISEASE CHARACTERISTICS:

• Cryopreserved specimens of marrow or peripheral blood from patients enrolled in clinical trial SWOG-9333 and meeting the following criteria:

  • Diagnosis of primary acute myeloid leukemia

    • No M3 disease
    • Previously untreated disease

  • Randomized to remission induction chemotherapy with mitoxantrone hydrochloride and etoposide (Arm II)

PATIENT CHARACTERISTICS:

• Not specified

PRIOR CONCURRENT THERAPY:

• See Disease Characteristics

specimens from S9333