Major leucocyte subpopulations were isolated from peripheral blood of healthy donors, and patients with chronic myeloid leukaemia (CML) and chronic lymphoid leukaemia (CLL). In vitro UV irradiation ...was performed at the wavelength of 257 nm (UVC band). DNA double‐stranded breaks (DNAdsbs) were detected immediately after UV‐irradiation, by means of agarose gel electrophoresis. Cell viability was estimated after 18 h in culture, as relative numbers of residual non‐apoptotic cells. Evaluation of the dose–response curves revealed that normal CLL lymphoid cells showed only moderate damage after UV‐irradiation, as assessed by DNAdsbs and cell viability criteria. However, normal granulocytes and myeloid blasts from CML patients expressed a sharp increase in DNAdsbs, even at lower doses of UV‐radiation. UV‐induced amplification of endogenous oxidative systems (e.g. NADPH‐dependent oxidase) is suggested as a probable reason for enhanced DNA breakage and apoptosis in cells of the granulocytic lineage.
In this report, we describe two patients with idiopathic hypereosinophilic syndrome (HES) who received a non‐myeloablative allogeneic transplantation following a reduced‐intensity preparative regimen ...of melphalan and fludarabine. In both cases, complete donor chimaerism and remission were achieved, and have lasted for more than 10 months. This report provides proof of principle for the feasibility of non‐myeloablative transplantation for patients with idiopathic HES, who can show co‐morbidity due to eosinophilic infiltration of their organs.
AIMS: To optimise a one step reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) protocol for BCR-ABL chimaera detection. METHODS: Compared with published RT-PCR procedures, this novel approach ...has at least two advantages. First, the same enzyme is used for both reverse transcription and PCR. Second, amplification of the target (BCR-ABL chimaera) and control gene (ABL) is performed simultaneously in the same tube. RESULTS: On testing 40 chronic myelogenous leukaemia patients and 10 healthy donors there was a specificity for the newly developed technique. In addition, dilution experiments demonstrated that the protocol was highly sensitive. CONCLUSIONS: The suggested one step PCR strategy is a simple and reliable way to reveal BCR-ABL chimaeras.
Bone marrow (BM) and subcutaneous adipose tissue (Ad) are both considered being prospective sources of MSC for therapeutic applications. However, functional properties and therapeutic efficacy of MSC ...derived from different tissues of the same patient are still poorly investigated. In our study, BM-MSC and F-MSC cultures from 43 adult donors were evaluated in successive passages for immunophenotype, secretion of VEGF, SDF1, MCP1, IL6 and TGFβ1, frequency of colony-forming units (CFU-F), frequency of adipo- and osteo-progenitors (CFU-Ad, CFU-Ost), and for onset of in vitro replicative senescence. We have demonstrated that at early passages (P2-P4 or up to 14-15 in vitro population doublings) BM- and Ad- derived MSC cultures are comparable in such important characteristics as proliferation rate (population doubling time: 3,4±0,2% in BM-MSC, 3±0,3 % in F-MSC), clonogenity (CFU-F frequency: 32±5% in BM-MSC, 31±5% in F-MSC), differentiation potential (CFU-Ad frequency: 10,4±2% in BM-MSC, 13±3% in F-MSC; CFU-Ost frequency: 18,5±5,5% in BM-MSC, 18±5% in F-MSC), but differ significantly in abundance of CD146+ fraction within the sample (25±5% in BM-MSC, 7±3 % in F-MSC) and in a level of VEGF, SDF-1, MCP1 and TGFβ1 secretion. We have also demonstrated that BM-MSC enter senescence after P3-4 while most of F-MSC did not show senescence features up to P6-8. Together, these data demonstrate that specific properties of MSC from different sources should be always taken into account, when developing and optimizing the specific protocols for MSC expansion and evaluation for each particular clinical application.
Bosutinib, a dual Src/Abl tyrosine kinase inhibitor (TKI), has shown potent activity against chronic myeloid leukemia (CML). This phase 1/2 study evaluated the efficacy and safety of once-daily ...bosutinib 500 mg in leukemia patients after resistance/intolerance to imatinib. The current analysis included 118 patients with chronic-phase CML who had been pretreated with imatinib followed by dasatinib and/or nilotinib, with a median follow-up of 28.5 months. In this subpopulation, major cytogenetic response was attained by 32% of patients; complete cytogenetic response was attained by 24%, including in one of 3 patients treated with 3 prior TKIs. Complete hematologic response was achieved/maintained in 73% of patients. On-treatment transformation to accelerated/blast phase occurred in 5 patients. At 2 years, Kaplan-Meier–estimated progression-free survival was 73% and estimated overall survival was 83%. Responses were seen across Bcr-Abl mutations, including those associated with dasatinib and nilotinib resistance, except T315I. Bosutinib had an acceptable safety profile; treatment-emergent adverse events were primarily manageable grade 1/2 gastrointestinal events and rash. Grade 3/4 nonhematologic adverse events (> 2% of patients) included diarrhea (8%) and rash (4%). Bosutinib may offer a new treatment option for patients with chronic-phase CML after treatment with multiple TKIs. This trial was registered at www.clinicaltrials.gov as NCT00261846.
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