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Biomedical subjects

C R Bartram

Publications and source records attributed to C R Bartram.

At least 145 records · Page 8Linked to original sources

Remarkably long survival of a patient with Ph1-positive chronic myeloid leukemia and 5' bcr rearrangement.

Chronic myeloid leukemia (CML) was diagnosed in a 19-year-old man in 1961, and the disease remained in chronic phase, with occasional exacerbations, for 27 years. In 1976, when the first cytogenetic analysis was performed, t(9;22)(q34;q11) was found as the sole abnormality in all mitoses. During accelerated phase in 1988, a second cytogenetic investigation showed the karyotype 45,XY,t(9;22)(q34;q11),-15,-17,+der(15) t(15;17)(p13;q11). Molecular analysis revealed a rearrangement in the 5' end of the major breakpoint cluster region (M-bcr). With the case presented here, sublocalization of the bcr breakpoint has now been undertaken in altogether five CML patients with extremely long survival. It is noteworthy that in all these cases the chromosome 22 breakpoint was located in the 5' region of the M-bcr.

Adult↗

Effects of recombinant human IL-7 on blast cell proliferation in acute lymphoblastic leukemia.

We investigated the effects of interleukin-7 (IL-7), a stromal cell derived cytokine known to stimulate proliferation of murine lymphoid precursor cells, alone and in combination with IL-3, IL-1, and IL-6 on proliferation of purified blast cells in acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL). After 7 days of liquid culture DNA-synthesis was induced in six of 10 cALL, three of five B-ALL, and two of seven T-ALL samples by IL-7 or IL-3 or both. Monitoring of leukemic cell populations in suspension culture by Southern blot analysis of immunoglobulin and T cell receptor gene rearrangements revealed preferential stimulation of the leukemic cell clone by both IL-7 or IL-3 in one cALL and one B-ALL sample. In these cases the combination of IL-7, IL-3, and IL-1 was as effective in stimulation of DNA-synthesis as the most potent cytokine alone. There was no evidence of lymphoid maturation during liquid culture as defined by immunophenotyping using flow cytometry. Stimulation of nonleukemic cell population seen in two other cases of cALL was associated with residual erythroid and granulocyte-macrophage colony forming cells after liquid culture as defined in parallel clonogenic assays in one and detection of CD 33+ and CD 13+ cells after culture in the other cALL sample. We conclude that IL-7 directly stimulates monoclonal growth of leukemic cells in a subset of ALL without evidence of concurrent maturation induction.

Adolescent↗

Phenotypic, genotypic, cytochemical, and ultrastructural characterization of acute undifferentiated leukemia.

During the diagnostic investigation of 750 acute leukemias, nine cases were morphologically, cytochemically, and phenotypically undifferentiated. In seven of these cases the blasts were class II+, CD34+ and TdT+, in one were class II+, TdT+, CD7+ while in the remaining leukemia blasts expressed class II only. Cytoplasmic and membrane CD22, CD3, CD13, and Ig as well as membrane CD19, CD10, CD37, CD2, CD33, CD14, glycophorin C, and CD61 were absent. The further characterization of these rare leukemias yielded the following results. The TCR-beta, -gamma and -delta genes were in germline configuration in seven cases studied while IgH genes were rearranged on both alleles in two cases and germline in the other five. By ultrastructural analysis peroxidase activity was detected on unfixed cells in a minority of blasts from four of seven cases. In two of the peroxidase-positive cases a small proportion of blasts also reacted with an anti-myeloperoxidase monoclonal antibody. In one of the peroxidase-negative cases, 7% of blasts were labeled by the antibody, suggesting the presence of peroxidase in its proenzyme form. Importantly, the two cases with Ig gene rearrangements did not have cytochemically or immunologically detectable peroxidase. Three of the nine patients were treated as ALL while six received AML chemotherapy. In five patients complete remission was achieved while the other four died from infections during remission induction. Four patients are still in remission 7, 12, 24, and 30 months after diagnosis while one patient relapsed after 12 months. In conclusion, we have characterized the genotypic and ultrastructural features of subtype of acute leukemia in which blasts expressed immaturity markers and lacked lineage associated antigens. In contrast to previously reported "unclassifiable" cases, the leukemias were phenotypically homogeneous and showed a good response to chemotherapy.

Acute Disease↗

Trisomy 14 in atypical chronic myeloid leukemia.

Trisomy 14 was the sole karyotypic anomaly in three patients with Ph1-negative chronic myeloid leukemia, and the only abnormality in one of three clones in a fourth case. The hematologic features were partly myeloproliferative, partly myelodysplastic, and included myeloid hyperplasia, neutrophilia without basophilia, a relatively high number of immature granulocyte precursors in the peripheral blood, and monocytosis in three and dysgranulopoiesis in two of the patients. These data, in combination with the patients' high age at diagnosis, their short survival, and the lack of rearrangements of the major breakpoint cluster region (M-bcr) in the two cases where cells were available for molecular analysis, indicate that all four patients suffered from atypical chronic myeloid leukemia (aCML). We suggest that trisomy 14 may be a characteristic karyotypic abnormality in this hematologic disorder.

Aged↗

High frequency of Ki-ras codon 12 mutations in pancreatic adenocarcinomas.

The frequency of Ki-ras gene mutations was studied in 100 paraffin-embedded sections obtained from 63 pancreatic adenocarcinomas by in vitro amplification of target sequences via polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and selective oligonucleotide hybridization. Forty-seven (75%) of the tumors contained a Ki-ras mutation at codon 12. No predominant amino acid substitution or nucleotide transition at this codon was observed. Two carcinomas exhibited 2 distinct Ki-ras mutations. No particular correlation could be established between the incidence of Ki-ras mutation and clinical parameters (sex, age, survival), tumor grade or tumor stage.

Adenocarcinoma↗

Rapid expression of protooncogenes c-fos and c-myc in B-chronic lymphocytic leukemia cells during differentiation induced by phorbol ester and calcium ionophore.

The peripheral blood mononuclear cells from patients with B-chronic lymphocytic leukemia (B-CLL) were incubated for 0.5 h to 72 h in the presence of the phorbol ester TPA, the calcium ionophore A23187, or a combination of these reagents. Using Northern blot analysis, total cellular RNA was prepared from cells harvested at different time points and hybridized with DNA clones specific for the protooncogenes c-fos and c-myc. While untreated control cells lacked detectable amounts of messenger RNA (mRNA), increase in the level of c-fos mRNA was noted as early as 0.5 h after exposure to the inducers. Peaks of c-fos and c-myc transcript accumulation were seen at 1 h and 4 h after induction, respectively. The most effective inducer was double stimulation with TPA plus A23187. The kinetics of c-fos and c-myc mRNA accumulation in B-CLL appear to be similar to those reported for normal lymphocytes that have been either activated by physiologic external stimuli or by direct activators of protein kinase C and calcium flux (such as TPA and A23187). No direct link between oncogene expression and proliferation or differentiation parameters could be established. These results document that expression of c-fos and c-myc genes, which are among the earliest events following stimulation of the protein kinase signal transduction pathway, can be successfully induced in B-CLL cells. The data provide further evidence for the hypothesis that signal transmission downstream of protein kinase C is intact in B-CLL.

Blotting, Northern↗

Polymerase chain reaction for detection of residual leukaemia.

The occasional finding of cells positive for the Philadelphia (Ph) chromosome months or years after bone-marrow transplantation for chronic myeloid leukaemia raises the possibility that the Ph-positive clone may never be eradicated. The polymerase chain reaction with probes able to detect the transcript of the bcr/abl hybrid gene at very low levels was used to study marrow cells from seven patients in continuing haematological and cytogenetic remission 5-7 years after allogeneic bone-marrow transplantation for chronic myeloid leukaemia. No evidence of the leukaemic mRNA was found. Thus, it seems that all leukaemic cells were eradicated in these patients and that they are truly cured.

Adolescent↗

Spontaneous Epstein-Barr virus transformed B-cell line sharing the identical immunoglobulin gene rearrangement with acute myeloid leukemia.

Mononuclear cells from a 44-year-old patient with acute myeloid leukemia (AML) gave rise to a spontaneous permanent cell line cultured in suspension. The cell line was shown to be positive for Epstein-Barr virus nuclear antigen (EBNA). As expected, its composite phenotype was of B-cell type with B-cell antigens (CD 20, CD 21) and with monoclonal surface IgM of kappa type, but without detectable IgM secretion. Surprisingly, identical monoclonal rearrangements of the immunoglobulin heavy chain (JH) sequences could be demonstrated in the uncultured bone marrow AML cells and in the cell line that also had kappa light chain gene rearrangement. This is the first case to our knowledge of an EBNA positive B-cell line with identical monoclonal Ig heavy chain rearrangement as detected in myeloblastic leukemia cells.

Adult↗

Immune thrombocytopenia more than a year after allogeneic marrow transplantation due to antibodies against donor platelets with anti-PlA1 specificity: evidence for a host-derived immune reaction.

We report on a male patient transplanted from his HLA-matched sister for Ph1-chromosome positive chronic myelogenous leukaemia who developed immune thrombocytopenia more than 1 year after transplantation. The platelet antibody reacted with the platelet specific antigen PlA1 on donor platelets, and also on recipient platelets after engraftment. A presumed host-versus-donor induced thrombocytopenia was supported by Southern blot analysis using a Y-chromosome specific probe demonstrating residual host-origin cells in the patient's excised spleen.

Adult↗

Prethymic phenotype and genotype of pre-T (CD7+/ER-)-cell leukemia and its clinical significance within adult acute lymphoblastic leukemia.

Pretreatment blast cells from 739 adults with acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) were immunophenotyped as part of a prospective treatment protocol study. Among 192 patients (26%) with T lineage ALL, 47 (6%; 24% of T lineage ALL) had lymphoblasts without sheep erythrocyte rosette formation, but with pan-T antigen CD7 on the membrane and intracellular CD3 proteins mostly in perinuclear accumulation. The T-cell surface antigens CD5 and/or CD2 and focal acid phosphatase were additional markers of this subgroup traditionally called pre-T ALL, whereas thymocyte antigen CD1 as well as CD4 and CD8 antigens were not expressed. Hematopoietic progenitor cell markers, namely terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase (TdT), and in part common ALL antigen (CD10), HLA-DR antigens, and/or My-10 (CD34), a unique antigen of marrow cells absent in thymus cells, further characterized this immature T-ALL form of putative prothymocytic phenotype (CD7+/intracellular CD3+/TdT+/My-10+/-/HLA-DR+/-/CD10+/-). The prethymic T cell character was supported by germ-line T-cell receptor beta genes found in 21 of 36 patients analyzed. In five cases only T gamma-chain genes were rearranged. Fifteen patients, however, had rearrangements of both T beta and T gamma genes. Immunoglobulin heavy chain genes were rearranged only in two cases. Pre-T ALL differed significantly from E-rosette+ T-ALL in some presenting clinical features, namely mediastinal mass, lymphoadenopathy, and platelet count, and independently of clinical factors in prognosis (P = .02, median remission duration: 15.7 v 33.5 months, and P = .02, median survival time: 24.6 v 50.7 months). We conclude that ALL classification based solely on T- or B-cell lineage affiliation is not sufficient but needs further subdivision according to relevant maturation stages as exemplified here within the T-cell axis. The putative prethymic T cell progenitor phenotype described might help elucidate the sequence of genetic events that commit normal hematopoietic cells to the T-cell lineage.

Adult↗

Evaluation of remission state in chronic myeloid leukemia patients after bone marrow transplantation using cytogenetic and molecular genetic approaches.

The remission state of 13 Philadelphia positive chronic myeloid leukemia patients was studied after bone marrow transplantation (BMT) by cytogenetic and Southern blot analysis of the breakpoint cluster region (BCR) gene. Eight of 13 patients showed neither clinical nor genetic evidence of residual disease. In two patients hematological relapse was confirmed by cytogenetic and molecular analysis. Evidence for residual leukemic cells in otherwise complete remission was obtained genetically in three patients. One of the latter cases revealed BCR rearrangement despite negative cytogenetic findings, while in another patient cytogenetic relapse was observed without demonstrable rearrangement within the major BCR. Our results may indicate that cytogenetic and molecular genetic methods complement rather than replace each other for the detection of residual CML cells after BMT.

Adolescent↗

Rearrangement of T cell receptor beta, gamma, and delta gene loci in human pre-T cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia.

Configuration of the T cell receptor (TCR) beta, gamma, and delta chain genes, as well as immunoglobulin (Ig) heavy and light chain genes, was studied in 29 cases of E rosette-negative (pre-T cell) acute lymphoblastic leukemias that lack early B cell (CD19), myeloid (CD33), as well as most T cell associated membrane antigens such as CD1, C4, and CD8, but express CD7, cytoplasmic CD3 (cCD3), and TdT strongly, as well as CD5 and/or CD2 heterogeneously. Hematopoietic progenitor cell markers, namely HLA-DR, J5 (CD10), and My10 (CD34), further characterized this immature T ALL of putative prothymocytic phenotype. Eleven ALLs showed a germline configuration of TCR as well as Ig genes. In three cases, only TCR delta sequences were rearranged, and four additional cases were characterized by recombination of both, TCR gamma as well as TCR delta sequences. Eleven patients showed concurrent rearrangements of TCR beta, gamma, and delta chain genes. An Ig heavy chain rearrangement was observed in one case. These data support the hypothesis that, analogous to pre-B development, a cascade of TCR rearrangements occurs in pre-T cells. Moreover, findings reported here suggest that CD7, as well as CD2 and CD5, antigens appear on precursor cells prior to entry into the thymus and support a model for the developmental hierarchy of TCR genes during early T cell ontogeny.

Antigens, Differentiation, T-Lymphocyte↗

Acute myeloid leukemia: analysis of ras gene mutations and clonality defined by polymorphic X-linked loci.

In vitro DNA amplification and synthetic oligonucleotide hybridization was used to analyze 57 acute myelocytic leukemias (AML) for the presence of ras gene mutations. We demonstrated mutated alleles in 19% of primary AMLs (10/51) as well as in five of six secondary leukemias. Mutations occurred predominantly at N-ras codons 12, 13, or 61 (13 cases) and twice at Ki-ras codons 12 and 13. Ras gene mutations were preferentially associated with an M4 morphology according to the FAB (French-American-British) classification, but no particular correlation was observed with respect to clinical parameter (sex, age, course of disease) or immunophenotype and karyotype. Mutated ras alleles were absent in nine mutation-positive cases analyzed during remission. However, a more complex pattern emerged from the five patients analyzed in relapse exhibiting identical ras mutations in three cases, absence of a mutated allele in one patient, and acquisition of a N-ras mutation in yet another case, in which no mutation had been detected initially. Moreover, restriction fragment length polymorphisms (RFLP) of the X-chromosome genes hypoxanthine phosphoribosyl transferase (HPRT) and phosphoglycerate kinase (PGK) were studied in 19 of the AML patients. Nine cases (47%) were heterozygous for BglI or BamHI RFLPs at the PGK or HPRT loci, respectively, and therefore suitable for clonal analysis investigating X-chromosome inactivation. All of the patients exhibited a monoclonal leukemic cell population at presentation. In addition, five of seven cases studied in remission showed reemergence of a polyclonal pattern. However, two children exhibited persistence of monoclonal hematopoiesis despite complete clinical/hematological remission and a corresponding loss of a mutated ras allele in one of the patients. These data indicate the value of molecular genetic approaches for evaluation of the heterogeneous nature of remission and relapse in AML.

Adolescent↗