PURPOSE: A retrospective study was conducted to investigate the prognostic significance of TEL/AML1 fusion resulting from a cryptic t(12;21) in Japanese patients with childhood B-precursor acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL). MATERIALS AND METHODS: Leukemic samples from 144 children with newly diagnosed ALL (104 with CD10-positive B-precursor ALL, 11 with CD10-negative B-precursor ALL, 5 with B-ALL, and 24 with T-ALL) were analyzed by reverse-transcription polymerase chain reaction. RESULTS: The frequency of patients with TEL/AML1 was 16% (23 of 144) and all patients with TEL/AML1 also had CD10-positive B-precursor ALL. TEL/AML1 was not found in any samples from the patients with T-ALL, B-ALL, or CD10-negative B-precursor ALL. Among patients with CD10-positive B-precursor ALL, age, initial white blood cell count, and immunophenotype did not differ with TEL/AML1 positivity, although the patients were predominantly male (p < 0.01). Clinical outcomes of 94 patients treated with recent protocols were analyzed. Five of the 21 (23.8%) patients with TEL/AML1 relapsed and 4 of these relapsed > 24 months after diagnosis. Although the overall 5-year survival rate was better among patients with TEL/AML1 fusion transcript than among those without it (87.3 +/- 8.7% versus 75.9 +/- 5.8%, respectively), the 5-year disease-free survival (DFS) rates of patients with TEL/AML1 fusion transcript and those without it were similar (64.0 +/- 13.5% versus 69.1 +/- 6.3%, respectively). However, for 57 patients treated with the latest intensive protocol, the 4-year DFS rate was much higher for the patients with TEL/AML1 fusion transcript than for those without it (100.0% v.s. 69.6 +/- 8.4%, respectively, p = 0.1472). CONCLUSIONS: This study confirmed that TEL/AML1 gene fusion is the most common genetic event in pediatric ALL in Japan and is restricted to CD10-positive B-precursor ALL. Moreover, it was associated with an improved survival rate among patients treated with intensive therapy. Therefore, these data suggest that the patients with TEL/AML1 may not necessarily be candidates for less aggressive treatment.

Adolescent↗

PubMedDate not supplied

Distribution of TNF endogenously induced by various immunopotentiators and Lactobacillus casei in mice.

Intravenous administration of heat-killed Lactobacillus casei YIT 9018 (LC) elicited endogenous cytotoxic factor (CF) production in ICR mice, peaking in serum after 2 h and declining gradually to basal level at 23 h. The endogenous CF production was significantly enhanced by priming with high molecular-weight lignins and glucans, but not by phenylpropenoid precursors or partially hydrolyzed products of glucans. The extent of stimulation of CF production by these priming agents was positively related to that of tumor necrosis factor (TNF) production, as judged by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. Endogenously produced TNF was concentrated more in liver, lung and intestine, as well as in serum, than in other organs. Histochemical examination revealed a significant increase in the number and swelling of Kupffer cells and sinusoidal endothelium in the liver of the treated mice.

Adjuvants, Immunologic↗

PubMedDate not supplied

O2- scavenging activity of lignins, tannins and PSK.

Iodination stimulators, such as the dehydrogenation polymer of caffeic acid (DHP-CA), a protein-bound polysaccharide (PSK), and a commercially available tannic acid, potently inhibited the luciferin-dependent chemiluminescence (LDCL) generated by opsonized zymosan-stimulated human peripheral blood polymorphonuclear cells (PMN). Continuous presence of these substances was necessary to express their inhibitory activity. The extent of inhibition paralleled their ability to scavenge the chemiluminescence generated by the xanthine-xanthine oxidase reaction. They also scavenged the chemiluminescence generated by potassium superoxide solution, but less effectively. An electron paramagnetic resonance spin-trapping technique revealed that DHP-CA significantly, but incompletely, scavenged O2-. The results suggest that O2- might be scavenged both directly by iodination stimulators, and by other oxygen radicals produced by activation of myeloperoxidase-mediated reaction.

Antibiotics, Antineoplastic↗

PubMedDate not supplied

Effect of lignins on HIV-induced cytopathogenicity and myeloperoxidase activity in human myelogenous leukemic cell lines.

We have previously reported the potent stimulation effect of lignin on the iodination of myeloperoxidase (MPO)-positive cells. We investigated here the anti-HIV (human immunodeficiency virus) activity of lignins in the MPO-positive (HL-60) and -negative (U-937) human myelogenous leukemic cell lines. Natural lignified material and dehydrogenation polymers, but not their precursors, effectively inhibited the cytopathic effect of HIV infection in both these cells as well as in MT-4 and MOLT-4 cells. HIV infection caused significant reduction of MPO activity in HL-60 cells, regardless of the presence or absence of lignins. These data suggest that MPO might not be involved in the anti-HIV activity induction by lignins.

Antiviral Agents↗

PubMedDate not supplied

Stimulation of iodination and cytokine production by dehydrogenation polymers of phenylpropenoids.

Dehydrogenation polymers of phenylpropenoids (so-called 'synthetic lignins') stimulated the iodination (incorporation of radioactive iodine into an acid-insoluble fraction) of human peripheral blood monocytes and polymorphonuclear cells (PMN). The stimulation activity of the polymers strongly depended on the amount of hydrogen peroxide used during sample preparation, and on the temperature during iodination assay. These polymers also stimulated the production of interleukin-1 and tumor necrosis factor by peripheral blood mononuclear cells. On the other hand, neither iodination nor cytokine production was significantly affected by the phenylpropenoid monomers. Although the polymers stimulated the iodination of human leukemic cell lines (HL-60, ML-1), they did not induce cytokine production in these cells. The results suggest that stimulation of iodination and cytokine production by dehydrogenation polymers of phenylpropenoids might be regulated differently.

Animals↗