Gene/Protein Disease Symptom Drug Enzyme Compound
Pivot Concepts:   Target Concepts:
Query: EC:2.7.10.2 (focal adhesion kinase)
44,029 document(s) hit in 31,850,051 MEDLINE articles (0.00 seconds)

In this study we analysed the incidence and clinical impact of the persistence of host haemopoiesis (mixed chimaerism, MC) after allogeneic BMT in 35 consecutive patients with haematologic malignancies using a total CD4+ cell-depleted graft with an adjusted dose of CD8+ cells (1x10(8)/kg). Chimaerism was assessed by PCR amplification of VNTRs in 30 evaluable patients: 19 non-CML and 11 CML cases which were also evaluated for the BCR-ABL transcript by RT-PCR. All but one had complete engraftment with a donor profile early post-BMT. At the end of the study period, 12 of 30 patients displayed MC (40%). The overall disease-free survival for MC patients was clearly unfavourable when compared to those who exhibited a donor profile (24.7% vs. 100%, P = 0.005). However, we found that only two of five patients with MC in the non-CML group relapsed, whereas a clear correlation could be made between MC and relapse in CML (seven showed MC, preceding cytogenetic or haematological relapse in six of them, which displayed a prior BCR-ABL mRNA positivity). In addition, a quantitative-PCR approach enabled us to demonstrate that increasing amounts of MC are invariably associated with subsequent relapse, whereas a low stable level of host or complete donor haemopoiesis is consistent with clinical complete remission. Although these results suggest that the clinical impact of MC may depend on the underlying disease, it is compatible with the concept that the graft-versus-leukaemia effect against CML is mainly exerted by donor CD4+ lymphocytes. Elimination of this cellular subset may be responsible for the inability of the graft to prevent a progressive increase in the tumor cell burden.
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PMID:Increasing mixed haematopoietic chimaerism after BMT with total depletion of CD4+ and partial depletion of CD8+ lymphocytes is associated with a higher incidence of relapse. 1010 May 62

Quantitative competitive RT-PCR techniques have been developed to detect BCR-ABL fusion transcripts in CML but they are hardly reproducible. In this work, we have developed BCR-ABL quantification by real time RT-PCR using the ABI PRISM 7700 (Perkin Elmer), a new technique which allows simple and rapid quantification of a target sequence during the extension phase of PCR amplifications. A fluorogenic probe labeled with both a reporter dye at the 5' end and a quencher-dye at the 3' end hybridizes to the target sequence on the third exon of the ABL gene. The exonuclease activity of the Taq DNA polymerase cleaves the probe and releases the reporter dye, resulting in an increase in the fluorescence signal. The absolute copy number of the target sequence (BCR-ABL) or a control gene (ABL) in an unknown sample can then be calculated using a calibration curve prepared from a set of BCR-ABL RNA standards, and results are expressed as a BCR-ABL/ABL ratio. In our hands, the sensitivity of a serial dilution of total RNA from a positive cell line (K562) in a negative cell line (HL60) was 10(-4). Fifteen CML patients in cytogenetic CR, including 11 allografted patients, two autografted patients and two patients treated by IFN were studied sequentially by this new real time quantitative RT-PCR technique in parallel with conventional qualitative two round nested RT-PCR. The two autografted patients showed high BCR-ABL/ABL ratio in all samples. The two patients treated by IFN showed a progressive decrease in the ratio. In the 11 allografted patients, four were sequentially studied 2 years or more after allo-BMT, and all ratios were below 10(-4). The four patients remained in clinical and cytogenetic CR. The seven other allografted patients were studied immediately after the procedure. Three of them showed a progressive decrease in the BCR-ABL/ABL ratio which reached 10(-4) 7 months after allo-BMT. The three patients remained in hematologic and cytogenetic CR. The remaining four allografted patients had progressive increase of BCR-ABL ratio; three developed cytogenetic relapse 9, 11, 28 months after allo-BMT, and the last patient remained in cytogenetic CR in the bone marrow but developed granulocytic sarcoma. Results of real-time quantitative RT-PCR were in agreement with those of qualitative two round nested PCR. However, evolution changes in the results of real-time quantitative RT-PCR often preceded those of the conventional technique: a decrease of the BCR-ABL/ABL ratio preceded progression from first round to second round positivity and then negativity with the classical technique; conversely, an increase in the ratio preceded evolution with the classical technique. Thus, real-time quantitative RT-PCR may show better correlation with clinical and cytogenetic evolution than conventional qualitative techniques and may help in making early therapeutic decisions in CML, especially after molecular relapse.
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PMID:Detection of BCR-ABL transcripts in chronic myeloid leukemia (CML) using a 'real time' quantitative RT-PCR assay. 1036 Mar 86

Patients with CML post allogeneic BMT or during treatment with Interferon were monitored in bone marrow and peripheral blood for BCR-ABL transcripts by RT-PCR and in the majority of cases also by Southern blotting. Bone marrow and peripheral blood samples were obtained simultaneously and tested by RT-PCR with the objective to determine the usefulness to follow CML patients by testing peripheral blood rather than bone marrow samples. For the purpose of this study we have considered the test results obtained from bone marrow samples as the standard. A total of 111 CML patients were examined who underwent either an allogeneic BMT (n=91) or were treated with Interferon (n=20) amounting to a total of 163 assessments for BCR-ABL. Concordance of results was observed in 153 samples (93.9%). 10 samples showed discordance. Seven of these were subjected to repeat testing by RT-PCR. The previously obtained discordant results were confirmed. The sensitivity of peripheral blood assays was calculated to be 96.2% with a specificity of 89.5%. RT-PCR results restricted to Southern blot negative patients showed concordance of bone marrow and peripheral blood in 91.1% of tested samples with a sensitivity of 92.7% and a specificity of 88.6%. The subset of patients in which Southern blot testing was not available showed concordance at a similar level. Complete concordance was seen in all patients that were found to be positive by Southern blotting. We conclude from this study that peripheral blood testing for BCR-ABL transcripts by RT-PCR is a test with high sensitivity and specificity and may potentially replace bone marrow testing. This approach will probably result in a high level of acceptance by patients and may permit more frequent monitoring.
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PMID:Comparative testing of peripheral blood and bone marrow for BCR-ABL transcripts in patients post allogeneic bone marrow transplantation and during interferon treatment for chronic myeloid leukemia. 1049 72

Translocation t(9;22) or Philadelphia chromosome (Ph)/BCR-ABL rearrangement positive acute lymphoblastic leukemia (Ph/BCR+ ALL) is associated with a very short survival of about one year in most patients. We analyzed long-term outcome of 76 adults with Ph/BCR+ ALL, in order to detect which factors were associated with longer survival. Modifiable prognostic factors included type of treatment, allogeneic marrow transplant (allo-BMT), and early anthracycline dose intensity (high = H/A, low = L/A); unmodifiable factors were age, gender, FAB morphology, phenotype, blast count, P190/210 transcript, hepatospleno-lymphadenopathy, LDH level. Median patient age was 43 years (range 15-71). Four favorable prognostic factors (FPF) were found associated with greater likelihood of complete remission (blast count < 50 x 10(9)/l, p = 0.08), longer remission duration (age < 50 years, p < 0.001; H/A, p < 0.05), and lower relapse rate (allo-BMT, p = 0.017). Age and anthracycline dose intensity exerted a synergistic prognostic effect. According to the cumulative incidence of FPF in each patient (FPF 0-1 = 29, 2-3 = 42, 4 = 5), the probability of survival increased from nil to 0.22 to 0.60 at 5 years (p < 0.005). Adult Ph/BCR+ ALL is relatively sensitive to anthracyclines, which therefore should be prescribed at full dosage to patients not eligible to allo-BMT or in the waiting list for unrelated donor transplantation.
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PMID:Clinical sensitivity to anthracyclines in PH/BCR+ acute lymphoblastic leukemia. 1050 Aug 26

We sought to establish a rapid and reliable RT-PCR approach for detection and quantification of BCR-ABL fusion transcripts using the LightCycler technology. This device combines rapid thermocycling with online detection of PCR product formation and is based on the fluorescence resonance energy transfer (FRET) between two adjacent hybridization probes carrying donor and acceptor fluorophores. A pair of probes was designed that was complementary to ABL exon 3, thus enabling detection of all known BCR-ABL variants and also normal ABL as an internal control. Conditions were established to amplify less than 10 target molecules/reaction and to detect one CML cell in 105 cells from healthy donors. To determine the utility of the assay, we quantified BCR-ABL and ABL transcripts in 254 samples (222 peripheral blood, 32 bone marrow) from 120 patients with CML after therapy with IFN-alpha (n = 219), allogeneic BMT (n = 17), chemotherapy (n = 11), or at diagnosis (n = 7). The level of residual disease in the 245 BCR-ABL positive specimens was expressed as the ratio of BCR-ABL/ABL. This ratio was compared to results obtained by three established methods from contemporaneous specimens. A highly significant correlation was seen between the BCR-ABL/ABL ratios determined by the LightCycler and (1) the BCR-ABL/ABL ratios obtained by nested competitive RT-PCR (n = 201, r = 0.90, P < 0. 0001); (2) the proportion of Philadelphia chromosome positive metaphases determined by cytogenetics (n = 81, P < 0.0001); and (3) the BCR ratio determined by Southern blot analysis (n = 122, P < 0. 0001). We conclude that real-time PCR with hybridization probes is a reliable and sensitive method to monitor CML patients after therapy. The major advantages of the methodology are (1) amplification and product analysis are performed in the same reaction vessel, avoiding the risk of contamination; (2) the results are standardized by the quantification of housekeeping genes; and (3) the complete PCR analysis takes less than 60 min.
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PMID:Accurate and rapid analysis of residual disease in patients with CML using specific fluorescent hybridization probes for real time quantitative RT-PCR. 1055 58

A major deletion of the region proximal to the rearranged ABL gene on 9q was found in 14/94 (15%) of chronic myelogenous leukemia Philadelphia-positive patients by interphase fluorescent in situ hybridization with the BCR/ABL extra signal dual-color probe. Preliminary results indicated that the prognosis of the deletion 9q patients is probably worse than that of the non-deletion 9q patients. Twelve of the 14 deletion 9q patients were treated with alpha-interferon and none had a major cytogenetic response. The median duration of the chronic phase in patients not undergoing BMT was significantly shorter for the deletion 9q patients as compared to the non-deletion 9q patients (p =.0144). DNA microarray technology was performed in order to compare the gene expression patterns between the two groups of patients. A number of genes exhibiting differential expression, especially involving cell adhesion and migration, were identified. This finding may identify a sub-group of CML patients with different cell properties and a relatively poor prognosis.
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PMID:Subgroup of patients with Philadelphia-positive chronic myelogenous leukemia characterized by a deletion of 9q proximal to ABL gene: expression profiling, resistance to interferon therapy, and poor prognosis. 1146 49

We describe the clinical activity of the ABL kinase inhibitor STI571 in a patient with accelerated phase of chronic myeloid leukemia (CML) relapsing after a second allogeneic BMT and with minimal levels of donor chimerism. STI571 resulted in rapid elimination of leukemic cells with ensuing prolonged severe leukopenia and neutropenia complicated by neutropenic fever and colitis. Subsequent hematopoietic recovery was driven by donor derived cells and was associated with grade 3 graft-versus-host disease (GVHD). STI571 induced sustained hematological and cytogenetic remission combined with controllable GvHD, therapeutic goals not achieved by two preceding allogeneic transplants and repeated donor lymphocyte transfusions (DLT).
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PMID:Hematologic and cytogenetic remission by STI571 (Glivec) in a patient relapsing with accelerated phase CML after second allogeneic stem cell transplantation. 1170 99

The accuracy of cytogenetic diagnosis in the management of hematological malignancies has improved significantly over the past 10 years. Fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH), a technique of molecular cytogenetics, has played a pivotal role in the detection of unique sub-microscopic chromosomal rearrangements that helped in the identification of chromosomal loci, which contain genes involved in leukemogenesis. We studied the feasibility and sensitivity of the FISH technique for molecular analysis of translocations markers, t(9;22) and t(15;17) for accurate molecular diagnosis and for monitoring the disease in 21 patients with chronic myeloid leukemia (CML) who received interferon-alpha and/or chemotherapy (7 patients), bone marrow transplantation (14 patients), and 14 patients with acute promyelocytic leukemia (APL) who received all-trans-retinoic acid (ATRA) and/or chemotherapy. We also applied conventional karyotyping (CK) for identification of t(9;22) and t(15;17) at diagnosis. All CML cases had a Ph; t(9;22) and except for two cases all APL had t(15;17). The FISH studies on CML marrows in complete cytogenetic remission (CCR) (100% Ph- by CK) achieved by IFN-alpha, showed 0-2.5% of cells with BCR-ABL fusion in first cytogenetic remission (Controls, range 0.5-1.5%). Repeat follow-up FISH studies could be done in two cases in remission, which demonstrated 0-10% of cells with BCR-ABL fusion. Evaluation of Ph positive status of CML marrow at diagnosis by CK (100% Ph+ cells) and FISH (80-92% BCR-ABL fusion) pointed the existence of dormant clone of normal residual hematopoietic cells along with actively proliferating clones of Ph positive cells. Fluorescence in situ hybridization analysis of post-BMT CML marrows in CCR (0% Ph+ mitoses) could detect MRD with range of 1-6%. Among 14 patients, 9 who showed percentage of BCR-ABL positive cells (0.0-1.5%) almost similar to normal controls, 6 patients had comparatively good prognosis (disease-free survival 7-14 months). Of five patients with residual leukemic cells in the range of 2-6%, 4 relapsed within a period of 3-24 months. Fourteen APL patients in CCR [100% t(15;17) negative cells by CK] were evaluated by FISH to check the presence of residual leukemic cells. In these patients FISH could efficiently detect 1-14.5% of residual cells with PML-RARA (patients mean MRD 5%, controls mean MRD 3.5%, P=.02). Since the time of FISH analysis, 5 to 7 patients with higher fraction of leukemic cells (5-11%) relapsed within a short period (1-7 months). On the contrary, 5 of 7 patients with either absence or low percentage of PML-RARA positive cells remained in complete remission for 11-24 months. Our data show that FISH has a potential to detect and measure the fraction of aberrant malignant cells in remission marrows, induced by BMT in CML and chemotherapy in APL. These findings encourage the investigations on a large scale to merit its potential for identification of patients at high risk. In the present studies, FISH on interphase cells also demonstrated its efficiency in the molecular diagnosis by its ability to detect BCR-ABL and PML-RARA fusion in CML with masked/variant Ph and t(15;17) negative APL, respectively. The efficiency of technique in molecular diagnosis was also proved in one of the CML patients who progressed to myeloid blastic phase where interphase FISH could identify an extra BCR-ABL fusion on both chromosomes 9 indicating insertion of BCR into ABL and its duplication.
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PMID:Fluorescence in situ hybridization: a highly efficient technique of molecular diagnosis and predication for disease course in patients with myeloid leukemias. 1175 52

Serial assays of qualitative (multiplex and nested) and quantitative PCR were carried out for detecting and estimating the level of BCR-ABL transcripts in 39 CML patients following bone marrow transplantation. Seven of these patients, who received donor lymphocyte infusions (DLIs) following to relapse, were also monitored. Quantitative estimates of BCR-ABL transcripts were obtained by co-amplification with a competitor sequence. Estimates of ABL transcripts were used, an internal control and the ratio BCR-ABL/ABL was thus estimated for evaluating the kinetics of residual clones. Twenty four patients were followed shortly after BMT; two of these patients were in cytogenetic relapse coexisting with very high BCR-ABL levels while other 22 were in clinical, haematologic and cytogenetic remission 2-42 months after BMT. In this latter group, seven patients showed a favourable clinical-haematological progression in association with molecular remission while in 14 patients quantitative PCR assays indicated molecular relapse that was not associated with an early cytogenetic-haematologic relapse. BCR-ABL/ABL levels could not be correlated with presence of GVHD in 24 patients after BMT. In all seven patients treated with DLI, high levels of transcripts were detected at least 4 months before the appearance of clinical haematological relapse. Following DLI, five of these patients showed decreasing transcript levels from 2 to 5 logs between 4 and 12 months. In eight other patients studied long after BMT, five showed molecular relapse up to 117 months post-BMT and only one showed cytogenetic relapse. Our findings indicated that quantitative estimates of BCR-ABL transcripts were valuable for monitoring minimal residual disease in each patient.
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PMID:Estimations of BCR-ABL/ABL transcripts by quantitative PCR in chronic myeloid leukaemia after allogeneic bone marrow transplantation and donor lymphocyte infusion. 1175 63

Here we show that the Janus kinase 3 (JAK3) inhibitor 4-(3'-hydroxyphenyl)-amino-6,7-dimethoxyquinazoline (JANEX-3) exhibits potent anti-GVHD activity and consequently improves the post-BMT survival outcome of C57BL/6 (H-2b) recipient mice transplanted with allogeneic bone marrow/splenocyte (BM/S) grafts from MHC disparate BALB/c mice (H-2d). One hundred percent of the vehicle-treated allograft recipients developed severe GVHD and died with a median survival of 41 days. Treatment of recipient mice with JANEX-3 (30 mg/kg/day, 3 x/day) after the onset of rapidly progressive severe GVHD in the 3rd week after BMT significantly improved the survival of BMT recipients with GVHD and prolonged the median survival time to 78 days (P < 0.0001, log-rank test). The probability of survival at two and three months post-BMT was 6 +/- 6% and 0 +/- 0% for vehicle-treated control mice and 100 +/- 0% and 38 +/- 17% for mice treated with JANEX-3. These results prompted the hypothesis that JAK3 plays a pivotal role in the pathophysiology of GVHD. To test this hypothesis, we examined if mice transplanted with allogeneic BM/S grafts from Jak3 knockout mice Jak3-/- develop GVHD. The allografts from (Jak3-/-) C57BL/6 (H-2b) mice rescued MHC-disparate recipient BALB/c mice (H-2d) of the lethal toxicity of TBI without causing fatal GVHD. Taken together, these observations establish JAK3 as a key mediator of severe GVHD after allogeneic BMT in the context of a major-HLA disparity.
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PMID:Treatment of post-bone marrow transplant acute graft-versus-host disease with a rationally designed JAK3 inhibitor. 1238 28


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