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Megakaryoblastic termination of myeloproliferative disorders.

Megakaryoblastic termination of myeloproliferative disorders is rare. The morphology of megakaryoblastic transformation can be subtle and is often mistaken for myeloid or lymphoid proliferations. Previously reported observations suggest a relatively poor prognosis for this category of patients, making precise diagnosis imperative. A multifaceted approach using morphology, ultrastructure, cytochemistry, and immunological membrane analysis may be helpful. We present two cases of myeloproliferative disorder with aggressive megakaryoblastic phases (myelofibrosis with agnogenic myeloid metaplasia and chronic myeloid leukemia with blast crisis). The clinical course is described and the results of the morphological, cytochemical, ultrastructural, and cytogenetic studies of both cases are presented. In addition, immunochemical studies (flow cytometry) and platelet function studies (aggregation, beta-thromboglobulin, and platelet factor IV release) were done for one of these patients.

Adult↗

Deficiency of a phosphatidylinositol-anchored cell adhesion molecule influences haemopoietic progenitor binding to marrow stroma in chronic myeloid leukaemia.

The interactions between haemopoietic progenitor cells and marrow stromal cells that are essential for the regulation of normal haemopoiesis are defective in chronic phase chronic myeloid leukaemia (CML). The presence of primitive progenitor cells (blast colony-forming cells, Bl-CFC) in the blood of patients with CML is reflected by their reduced capacity to bind to marrow derived stromal layers in vitro. Whereas normal bone marrow Bl-CFC bind irreversibly to cultured stromal layers (and none are found in normal blood), the Bl-CFC in CML bind transiently and then detach. The normal cell adhesion mechanism is partially sensitive to treatment with phosphatidylinositol-specific phospholipase C (Pl-PLC), indicating the participation of a phosphatidylinositol (Pl)-linked structure; however, when CML cells were treated with Pl-PLC it had no effect on progenitor binding. Two other Pl-linked structures, decay-accelerating factor (DAF) and lymphocyte function associated antigen-3 (LFA-3) were normally expressed on CD34 positive CML cells and normally susceptible to Pl-PLC treatment. The treatment of normal cells with Pl-PLC, to mimic the situation in CML, resulted in the indiscriminate and inefficient binding of Bl-CFC to stroma. Moreover, treatment of the normal cells with 5637 conditioned medium (CM), which contains haemopoietic growth factors, also reduced the binding capacity of normal Bl-CFC; 5637CM treatment did not alter the expression of DAF. It is proposed that a Pl-linked cell adhesion molecule (CAM) is deficient in CML as a consequence of the constitutive activation of ABL kinase whilst, in normal cells, CAMs attached in this manner are responsible for efficient adhesion to stroma and are regulated by growth factors.

Antigens, CD↗

[Acute or subacute myelofibrosis].

Nine patients were selected according to the following criteria: 1. Hematological findings consistent with the diagnosis of myelofibrosis with myeloid metaplasia (MMM), except for an excess of blasts in the blood and bone marrow; 2. No previous (silent) phase of MMM. 3. No PH1 chromosome, and 4. No identifiable cause of secondary myelofibrosis. These patients had either an acute or subacute myelofibrosis. The onset of such symptoms as fever, bone pain, hemorrhage and mild splenomegaly was rapid. Terminal acute leukemia or more often progressive bone marrow biopsy showing myelofibrosis with persistence of differentiated myeloid tissue, particularly megacaryocytes. Isotopic studies (59Fe and 51Cr) showed splenic erythroid metaplasia, poor bone marrow 59Fe uptake and increased peripheral red blood cell destruction. This study confirms that malignant myelosclerosis is a well-defined syndrome which must be distinguished from: a) Acute transformation of typical agnogenic myeloid metaplasia even though it was previously undiagnosed (4 cases of MMM illustrating this possibility have been reported); b) Acute myeloblastic leukemia with myelofibrosis; and c) Myelofibrosis secondary to lymphomatous or carcinomatous bone-marrow invasion (2 cases with acute myelofibrosis appearing long after appropriate treatment have been reported).

Acute Disease↗

Mouse spleen lymphoblasts generated in vitro. Their replication and differentiation in vitro.

Mouse spleen lymphoblasts induced with lipopolysaccharide and fetal calf serum were obtained in high yield and purity in their first proliferative cell cycle by floatation in dense bovine plasma albumin columns (3). The blasts were maintained in vitro for 3 more days. The cultures were examined in bulk on each day, and in addition, those cells in S phase initially were tagged with [(3)H]thymidine and followed continuously in vitro. Grain count dilution data indicated that most blasts divided but twice over a 2- to 3-day interval in vitro. [(3)H]Thymidine pulse radiolabeling and flow microfluorometry suggested that at least 50-70 percent of the proliferating blasts withdrew from proliferative activity after 2-3 days of culture. Morphologic studies demonstrated that lymphoblasts persisted as such for 1-2 days in vitro and then matured into typical plasma cells. Many of the blastprogeny had small nuclei and considerable basophilic cytoplasm on Giemsa-stained cell smears; abundant rough endoplasmic reticulum by electron microscopy; and readily detectable cytoplasmic Ig by immunocytochemistry. Reversion of blasts to small lymphocytes could not be detected; however, some blasts persisted even after 3 days of culture. The viability of the cultured lymphoblast was followed by initially tagging the cells with [(3)H]thymidine as well as several other techniques. Little cell death was documented during the first day of culture. The number of labeled progeny increased twofold whereas the grain count halved. But 40- 50 percent of the cell-associated label was lost during each of the second and third days, and fewer labeled progeny than predicted by grain count dilution were identified. The culture medium could not be implicated in this loss of lymphoblast progeny, and we suggest that the maturation of the lymphoblast to a short-lived plasma cell was responsible. Therefore mitogen-stimulated B blasts seem to mature into typical plasma cells after just two cycles of cell division. The plasma cells resemble those produced in situ during an immune response in their cytologic features, withdrawal from active proliferative activity, and short life-span.

Animals↗

Telomerase activity in acute myelogenous leukaemia: clinical and biological implications.

We examined telomerase activity in myeloid leukaemic cell lines, normal haemopoietic cells, and leukaemic blasts from acute myelogenous leukaemia (AML) patients. Normal bone marrow mononuclear (BMNC) cells expressed low telomerase activity. Higher telomerase activity was detected in 10 myeloid leukaemic cell lines compared to normal BMNC cells. Treatment with 1,25(OH)2D3, and vitamin D3 analogues, EB1089 and KH1060, reduced telomerase activity in vitamin D3-sensitive HL-60 cells, whereas vitamin D3 insensitive K562 cells did not change its activity. This down-regulation of telomerase activity by EB1089 was associated with induction of p21 protein. The rank order of telomerase activity was leukaemic CD34- cells > leukaemic CD34+ cells > normal CD34- cells > normal CD34+ cells. Telomerase activity was positive in all of the AML patients tested; however, heterogeneity of telomerase activity was found amongst this group. Therefore we compared telomerase activity with clinical response. Unexpectedly, we found that a higher rate of complete remission was noted in AML patients with higher telomerase activity. No association between telomerase activity and biological parameters including percentage of S-phase, cytotoxicity to cytosine arabinoside and percentage of CD34+ cells in AML blasts was found. These results suggest that telomerase activity in AML patients is detected with high frequency, but is heterogenous. Expression level of telomerase activity may have a clinical implication in AML patients regarding clinical response.

Adult↗

Chagas' disease is attenuated in mice lacking gamma delta T cells.

The role of gamma delta T cells in the immunopathology of Chagas' disease is evaluated by monitoring the course of Trypanosoma cruzi infection in mice lacking gamma delta T cells after disruption of the T-cell receptor C delta locus. Levels of parasitemia, states of lymphocyte activation, and levels of lymphokine production as well as tissue pathology are compared in delta knockout mice and their littermates in acute and chronic phases of infection. Although the levels of circulating parasites do not significantly differ in the two groups, mortality scores and numbers of inflammatory lesions of skeletal and cardiac muscles are lower in gamma delta T cell-deficient m ice than in littermate controls. Furthermore, polyclonal lymphocyte activation, as measured by proliferative activities and numbers of B- and T-cell blasts in the spleen, are reduced in deficient mice in the acute and chronic phases of infection. Levels of gamma interferon mRNA obtained from total spleen cells, known to be a critical lymphokine in resistance to T. cruzi infection, are significantly higher in uninfected gamma delta T cell-deficient mice than in control animals and slightly above levels for littermates in the course of acute infection. Interestingly, however, in chronic phases, the levels of this lymphokine are not statistically different between the two groups of mice. These results indicate that gamma delta T cells do not play a crucial role in parasite clearance during the acute phase of the disease but contribute to the mechanisms leading to tissue damage and pathology.

Acute-Phase Reaction↗

Blast crisis of Ph-positive chronic myeloid leukemia with isochromosome 17q: report of 12 cases and review of the literature.

Isochromosome 17q [i(17q)] is frequently observed in the blast crisis (BC) of chronic myelogenous leukemia (CML). It has been suggested that this chromosome abnormality is associated with special hematological characteristics of the BC, but the information on this subject is scarce. The clinical, hematological and cytogenetic features of patients with i(17q) were analyzed in a series of 121 patients with BC of Ph-positive CML. Twelve patients (10%) displayed an i(17q), representing the third commonest cytogenetic abnormality, after trisomy 8 and Ph chromosome duplication. In seven of the 12 patients the BC was preceded by an accelerated phase, and 10 had more than 10% blood basophils at BC diagnosis. The blast cells had a myeloid phenotype in the 12 patients. Five patients exhibited cytogenetic abnormalities in addition to i(17q), with trisomy 8 and duplication of the Ph chromosome being the alterations most frequently observed. Median survival of patients with i(17q) was 22 weeks, which was not significantly different from the survival of patients with myeloid BC in the overall series. These results are similar to the findings in 181 patients with i(17q) from 12 series of the literature, and confirm the special hematologic profile of BC of CML with this cytogenetic abnormality.

Adolescent↗

[Hypercalcemia associated with blast crisis of chronic myeloid leukemia].

We describe a patient with CML who developed hypercalcemia in his course of blast crisis. A 25-years-old man was diagnosed as CML with priapism in April 1985, and controlled with BHAC-DVP, VMP, busulfan therapy. In December 1987, he readmitted to our hospital with abdominal pain. Investigations at that time showed: white blood cell count 11600/microliters (blast cells 9%); hemoglobin 8.4 g/microliters; platelets 19.0 X 10(4)/microliters; serum calcium 13.2 mg/dl; BUN 44 mg/dl; creatinine 2.7 mg/dl. Treatment with predonine, 6-MP and vincristine was begun. But serum calcium level rose gradually up to 16.5 mg/dl. So we tried middle dose Ara-c therapy, serum calcium decreased to 6.8 mg/dl. At once he was in a chronic phase, but he relapsed and died of heart failure. Necropsy showed extensive leukemic blast-cell infiltration of the bone marrow, liver, spleen, lung, and kidney. The cause of hypercalcemia in our case was suspected of local osteolytic hypercalcemia, because multiple bone destruction was found.

Adult↗

Recombinant human granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor in combination with standard induction chemotherapy in de novo acute myeloid leukemia.

Based on in vitro data suggesting that recombinant human granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor (rhGM-CSF) is capable of stimulating acute myeloid leukemia (AML) blast cells to become more sensitive to cell-cycle-specific drugs we conducted a phase I/II study in de novo AML patients (pts). rhGM-CSF (250 micrograms/m2/d, continuous intravenous infusion) was administered in 18 pts suffering from de novo AML in combination with standard induction chemotherapy (3 + 7 = daunorubicin 45 mg/m2 days 1 through 3, cytosine-arabinoside [Ara-C] 200 mg/m2 continuous infusion days 1 through 7). GM-CSF was started 48 or 24 hours before chemotherapy (prephase) in 14 pts. In four pts with high white blood cell counts (WBC) rhGM-CSF was started after chemotherapy-induced cell reduction (WBC less than 30,000/mm3). During prephase GM-CSF induced an increase in neutrophil and blast cell counts in 13 of 14 and 10 of 14 pts, respectively. In vivo recruitment of leukemic cells into drug-sensitive phases of the cell cycle could be demonstrated by multiparameter cell-cycle analyses in peripheral blood (n = 7) and bone marrow (n = 4) specimens. On day 14, complete aplasia was evident in 17 of 18 pts. GM-CSF was administered until recovery from chemotherapy-induced myelosuppression (absolute neutrophil counts, [ANC] greater than 500/mm3). Fifteen pts (83%) achieved complete remission, 12 did so with one cycle. A shorter duration of neutropenia was evident in these pts compared with historical controls (n = 39), (ANC greater than 500/mm3, day 22.5 +/- 3.4 v 25.2 +/- 3.7, P less than .05). Three pts achieved complete remission after a second cycle (same combination of rhGM-CSF and 3 + 7). Two pts died during bone marrow aplasia because of invasive pulmonary aspergillosis. Clinical side effects possibly related to GM-CSF, mainly fever, diarrhea, and weight gain were mild and tolerable (World Health Organization toxicity grade less than or equal to 2). Together, rhGM-CSF recruits kinetically quiescient AML cells in vivo to enter drug-sensitive phases of the cell cycle and promotes early myeloid recovery from aplasia after exposure to standard induction chemotherapy for AML.

Adult↗

Effect of cell growth and cell differentiation on 1-beta-D-arabinofuranosylcytosine metabolism in myeloid cells.

Resistance of leukaemic blasts to 1-beta-D-arabinofuranosylcytosine (ara-C) has been shown to be associated with changes in the metabolism of this drug. However, effects of cell growth and maturation stage on ara-C metabolizing enzymes have to be excluded as a possible cause of different enzyme activities in leukaemic blasts between nonresponders and patients achieving complete remission. We evaluated the effects of cell cycle phase and cell differentiation on the activity of cytidine deaminase, deoxycytidylate deaminase and deoxycytidine kinase in myeloid cell lines. Our data indicate that different enzyme profiles in nonresponders might not only be caused by the emergence of mutator phenotypes but may also reflect the growth and maturation stage of leukaemic blasts.

Cell Cycle↗

Extramedullary blast crisis derived from 2 different clones in the central nervous system and neck during complete cytogenetic remission of chronic myelogenous leukemia treated with imatinib mesylate.

We describe a patient with Philadelphia chromosome (Ph)-positive chronic myelogenous leukemia (CML) who developed an extramedullary blast crisis in the central nervous system (CNS) and then a subcutaneous tumor of the neck during treatment with imatinib mesylate. Administered 400 mg of imatinib mesylate after the diagnosis of chronic-phase CML, the patient achieved a complete cytogenetic remission 4 months later. However, he developed a mixed myeloid/B-cell blast crisis with additional karyotype abnormalities only in the CNS during a complete cytogenetic remission in the bone marrow. Several doses of intrathecal chemotherapy and whole-brain irradiation were effective in treating the blast crisis in the CNS. After 7 months of complete cytogenetic remission, the patient experienced a subcutaneous tumor in the right neck. A biopsy of the tumor revealed a mixed myeloid/T-cell blast crisis. The cytogenetic analysis showed that the blast crisis clone in the neck tumor was different from that of the CNS. An increased dose of imatinib mesylate was ineffective in treating the neck tumor. Irradiation to the right neck was therefore undertaken. This case suggests that the development of a clone resistant to imatinib mesylate is not always detected in the bone marrow and that multiple Ph-positive clones have the potential to become transformed into a blast crisis.

Adolescent↗

Ph1 -positive CML associated with megakaryocytic hyperplasia and thrombocythemia and an abnormality of chromosome no. 3.

A patient with Philadelphia (Ph1) chromosome positive chronic myelocytic leukemia is described, who had in blast crisis in addition an abnormality of chromosome No. 3; ins(3; 3)(q26; q21q26). This abnormality might be connected with hyperplasia of megakaryocytes and thrombocythemia, as recently reported in patients with acute leukemia. In the initial phase of the disease our patient had also thrombocythemia, hyperplasia of megakaryocytes with morphological abnormalities. Furthermore, when blast cells were culture in diffusion chambers, differentiation into several cell lines occurred but not into megakaryopoiesis. It is, therefore, concluded that the involved band on chromosome No. 3 might contain the locus which controls megakaryocytic proliferation and platelet production but additional factors seem to be required for their expression.

Bone Marrow↗

ReSETting PP2A tumour suppressor activity in blast crisis and imatinib-resistant chronic myelogenous leukaemia.

The deregulated kinase activity of p210-BCR/ABL oncoproteins, hallmark of chronic myelogenous leukaemia (CML), induces and sustains the leukaemic phenotype, and contributes to disease progression. Imatinib mesylate, a BCR/ABL kinase inhibitor, is effective in most of chronic phase CML patients. However, a significant percentage of CML patients develop resistance to imatinib and/or still progresses to blast crisis, a disease stage that is often refractory to imatinib therapy. Furthermore, there is compelling evidence indicating that the CML leukaemia stem cell is also resistant to imatinib. Thus, there is still a need for new drugs that, if combined with imatinib, will decrease the rate of relapse, fully overcome imatinib resistance and prevent blastic transformation of CML. We recently reported that the activity of the tumour suppressor protein phosphatase 2A (PP2A) is markedly inhibited in blast crisis CML patient cells and that molecular or pharmacologic re-activation of PP2A phosphatase led to growth suppression, enhanced apoptosis, impaired clonogenic potential and decreased in vivo leukaemogenesis of imatinib-sensitive and -resistant (T315I included) CML-BC patient cells and/or BCR/ABL+ myeloid progenitor cell lines. Thus, the combination of PP2A phosphatase-activating and BCR/ABL kinase-inhibiting drugs may represent a powerful therapeutic strategy for blast crisis CML patients.

Animals↗

Ex vivo induction of anti-leukemia cytotoxic T cell effect by dendritic cells from human umbilical cord blood cell origin.

To explore the possibility of in vitro induction of cord blood cell-derived lymphocytes into cytotoxic T lymphocytes (CTL) with anti-leukemia specificity, umbilical cord blood (UCB)-derived mononuclear cells were cultured with multiple cytokines to generate dendritic cells (DC) in vitro. Leukemia cells were irradiated with (137)Cs and activated by premature cytokines. The characteristics of maturation of DC were evaluated through morphology examination and flow cytometry. DC pulsed with leukemic antigens were co-cultured with lymphocytes. Cytotoxicity of the CTL to corresponding leukemic cells was measured with lactate dehydrogenase-release assay. The results showed that UCB-derived monocytes could be induced into typical DC in all of the 12 samples. Expression of immunological markers such as CD1a(+), HLA-DR(+), CD86(+), CD83(+) on DC were significantly up-regulated (P < 0.05). DC presenting leukemic antigens generated leukemia-specific CTL with a killing rate of (44.76 +/- 17.42)% at the E:T ratio of 50:1 against AML cells and a killing rate of (8.50 +/- 4.25)% at the E:T ratio of 50:1 against ALL cells. Whereas, these CTL present almost no killing effect on the mononuclear cells collected from the same patients in complete remission phase. It is concluded that (1) it is possible to induce UCB-derived monocytes into mature DC with typical morphology. (2) Cord blood derived mature DC presenting leukemia antigen can generate leukemia-specific CTL with vigorous cytotoxic activity against the same leukemia blasts and low killing activity against bone marrow cells of the same patients in complete remission phase.

Cells, Cultured↗

[Responsiveness of lymphocytes to stimulation by pha and autologous blasts in acute lymphatic leukemias during remission (author's transl)].

The paper deals with the question how far the lymphocytes of acute lymphatic leukemia patients in remission can be stimulated by PHA and autologous blasts in the MLC-Test. The lymphocyte stimulation by PHA showed considerable variation dependent on the phase of therapy. A significant reduction of the responsiveness to PHA stimulation was found during the prophylactic reinduction treatment with Vincristin and Prednisolon compared with the results during maintenance therapy. The examination of lymphocyte stimulation by conserved autologous blasts in the mixed lymphocyte culture-test yielded positive results in one of three children at the beginning of remission and in 2 of 3 children during the consolidated remission period.

Child↗

Lymph node blast crisis of chronic myelogenous leukemia. One case report.

We present a patient with philadelphia chromosome (ph')-positive CML with extramedullary blast crisis in the lymph nodes before the bone marrow blast crisis. The morphological and cytochemical studies of lymph node touch preparation, and cytogenetic studies of lymph node tissue confirmed the extramedullary lymphoid blast transformation of CML, while the bone marrow continued to show the chronic phase of CML. When we changed our treatment to use Vincristine-Prednisolone therapy, the lymphadenopathy disappeared gradually. This case shows that the clinical and prognostic features of extramedullary disease can strongly affect disease acceleration in CML, and the therapy should be changed promptly. Besides, cytogenetic study of extramedullary tumor tissue in CML can be useful for accurate diagnosis.

Aged↗

Sorption and desorption of iron-cyanide complexes in deposited blast furnace sludge.

Blast furnace sludge is a waste originating from pig iron production and contains small amounts of iron-cyanide complexes. Leaching of iron-cyanide complexes from deposited blast furnace sludge into the ground water seems to be possible in principle. We investigated the sorption of the iron-cyanide complexes ferrocyanide, [FeII(CN)6](4-), and ferricyanide, [FeIII(CN)6](3-), in 22 samples of deposited blast furnace sludge in batch experiments. Subsequently, desorption of iron-cyanide complexes was investigated using 1 M NaCl. Sorption in five samples was evaluated with Langmuir isotherms. The blast furnace sludge samples were neutral to slightly alkaline (pH 7.6-9) and consisted of X-ray amorphous compounds and crystalline Fe oxides primarily. X-ray amorphous compounds are assumed to comprise coke-bound C and amorphous Fe, Zn, and Al oxides. The experiments that were evaluated with Langmuir isotherms indicated that the extent of ferricyanide sorption was higher than that of ferrocyanide sorption. Saturation of blast furnace sludge with iron-cyanide complexes was achieved. Sorption of iron-cyanide complexes in 22 blast furnace sludge samples at one initial concentration showed that 12 samples sorbed more ferrocyanide than ferricyanide. The extent of sorption largely differed between 0.07 and 2.76 Micromol [Fe(CN)6] m(-2) and was governed by coke-bound C. Ferricyanide sorption was negatively influenced by crystalline Fe oxides additionally. Only small amounts of iron-cyanide complexes sorbed in blast furnace sludge were desorbed by 1 M NaCl (ferrocyanide, 3.2%; ferricyanide, 1.1%, given as median). This indicated strong interactions of iron-cyanide complexes in blast furnace sludge. The mobility of iron-cyanide complexes in deposited blast furnace sludge and consequently contamination of the seepage and ground water was designated as low, because (i) deposited blast furnace sludge is able to sorb iron-cyanide complexes strongly, (ii) the solubility of the iron-cyanide-containing phase, K2Zn3[FeII(CN)6] . 9H20, is known to be low, and (iii) a worst case scenario of the transport of iron-cyanide complexes within the blast furnace sludge deposit indicated strong retardation of the complexes within the next 100 years.

Adsorption↗

Histological and clinical evolution patterns of chronic myelocytic leukemia.

Trephine biopsies of 101 chronic myelocytic leukaemia (CML) patients were analysed to study the relationship between initial and subsequent histological features vis-a-vis clinical behaviour of the disease. The patients with blast crisis at presentation were excluded. At diagnosis 62 (61.4%) patients revealed granulocytic-megakaryocytic (gran-meg) proliferation whereas granulocytic (gran) proliferation was found in 39 (38.6%) patients. Gran pattern at diagnosis was associated with shorter survival and early evolution into blast crisis (36.8%) in 12 months, although the difference in the total incidence of blast crisis between the two histological groups was not statistically significant. Myelofibrosis was detected in more number of cases on follow up (89.1%) as compared to the initial biopsies (80.2%). However myelofibrosis did not correlate with initial cellular composition, overall survival or the phase of CML (P > 0.05). Transition from one histological type to another was observed in 15 out of 60 (25%) cases while remaining in the chronic phase.

Biopsy, Needle↗