Gene/Protein Disease Symptom Drug Enzyme Compound
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Query: UMLS:C0018681 (headache)
 56,091 document(s) hit in 31,850,051 MEDLINE articles (0.00 seconds)

A patient with the prolymphocytic variant of B cell chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL/PL) who developed meningeal leukemic involvement is reported. He had been diagnosed as having CLL/PL 2.5 years earlier, and treated successively with splenectomy, continuous chlorambucil and CHOP chemotherapy. While receiving the latter treatment, the patient developed persistent cephalalgia and vomiting, without signs of neurological focality. A lumbar puncture yielded a cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) showing lymphoid cells of prolymphocytic appearance and the immunological cell markers demonstrated the clonality of these cells. Intrathecal methotrexate and arabinosyl cytosine treatment was administered, this leading to the disappearance of the abnormal cells from the CSF and the resolution of the clinical symptoms.
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PMID:Central nervous system involvement demonstrated by immunological study in prolymphocytic variant of chronic lymphocytic leukemia. 164 98

The majority of hematopoietic malignancies have aberrancies in the retinoblastoma (Rb) pathway. Loss in Rb function is, in most cases, a result of the phosphorylation and inactivation of Rb by the cyclin-dependent kinases (cdks), main regulators of cell cycle progression. Flavopiridol, the first cdk modulator tested in clinical trials, is a flavonoid that inhibits several cdks with evidence of cell cycle block. Other interesting preclinical features are the induction of apoptosis, promotion of differentiation, inhibition of angiogenic processes and modulation of transcriptional events. Initial clinical trials with infusional flavopiridol demonstrated activity in some patients with non-Hodgkin's lymphoma, renal, prostate, colon and gastric carcinomas. Main side-effects were secretory diarrhea and a pro-inflammatory syndrome associated with hypotension. Phase 2 trials with infusional flavopiridol in CLL and mantle cell lymphoma, other schedules and combination with standard chemotherapies are ongoing. The second cdk modulator tested in clinical trials, UCN-01, is a potent protein kinase C inhibitor that inhibits cdk activity in vitro as well. UCN-01 blocks cell cycle progression and promotes apoptosis in hematopoietic models. Moreover, UCN-01 is able to abrogate checkpoints induced by genotoxic stress due to modulation in chk1 kinase. The first clinical trial of UCN-01 demonstrated very prolonged half-life (approximately 600 h), 100 times longer than the half-life observed in preclinical models. This effect is due to high binding affinity of UCN-01 to the human plasma protein alpha-1-acid glycoprotein. Main side-effects in this trial were headaches, nausea/vomiting, hypoxemia and hyperglycemia. Clinical activity was observed in patients with melanoma, non-Hodgkin's lymphoma and leiomyosarcoma. Of interest, a patient with anaplastic large cell lymphoma refractory to high-dose chemotherapy showed no evidence of disease after 3 years of UCN-01 therapy. Trials of infusional UCN-01 in combination with Ara-C or gemcitabine in patients with acute leukemia and CLL, respectively, have commenced. In conclusion, flavopiridol and UCN-01 are cdk modulators that reach biologically active concentrations effective in modulating CDK in vitro, and show encouraging results in early clinical trials in patients with refractory hematopoietic malignancies. Although important questions remain to be answered, these positive experiences will hopefully increase the therapeutic modalities in hematological malignancies.
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PMID:Development of cyclin-dependent kinase modulators as novel therapeutic approaches for hematological malignancies. 1124 75

A 70-year-old woman was diagnosed with B-cell-type chronic lymphocytic leukemia (B-CLL) in May 2001. Initial white blood cell (WBC) count was 37 x 10(9)/l and most of the cells were mature small lymphocytes. Surface antigen analysis of these lymphocytes revealed positive reactions for CD19, 20, 25, 5, and lambda-light chain. Despite her Rai stage-0 status, various treatments were ineffective, including cyclophosphamide; fludarabine; 6-mercaptopurine; a combination of vincristine, cyclophosphamide, prednisolone, and adriamycin; and etoposide. Her WBC count increased, ranging from 150 to 450 x 10(9)/l, with marked splenomegaly, and symptoms of meningitis, such as headache, ophthalmalgia, hearing disturbance, and abnormal behavior, being manifested. The WBC count in the cerebrospinal fluid was elevated to 134/microl. The surface phenotype of these cells was identical to that of circulating lymphocytes, indicating meningeal involvement of leukemia, a rare complication in B-CLL. At the time of this WBC elevation, 24% of circulating lymphocytes had prominent nucleoli, indicating progression of the disease to CLL/prolymphocytic leukemia. Her symptoms disappeared after repeated intrathecal injections of methotrexate and dexamethazone. After four courses of treatment of the refractory B-CLL with rituximab, an anti-CD20 monoclonal antibody, the WBC count returned to normal levels and the splenomegaly disappeared. She is currently well, with sustained remission, as of April 2004.
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PMID:Excellent response of chemotherapy-resistant B-cell-type chronic lymphocytic leukemia with meningeal involvement to rituximab. 1624 65

Symptomatic nervous system leukemic infiltration is rarely observed in CLL. Various clinical manifestations including headache, confusion, cranial nerve palsies, focal central deficits and peripheral neuropathies have been seldom reported, occurring in less than 1% of patients. We report herein 2 CLL patients with unusual clinical presentations of nervous system invasion. They presented multiple progressive peripheral deficits due to meningoradiculitis. In both, CSF immunophenotyping analysis identified a majority of T cells (>90%), and less than 10% of B-CLL cells expressing CD5, CD19 and CD20. Our analyses revealed the transformation of CLL into an aggressive B-cell lymphoma in one case (Richter's syndrome). A post mortem study showed massive infiltration of cranial nerves and spinal roots by large B lymphomatous cells. In the other case, CNS oriented chemotherapy led to remission and total neurological recovery. In practice, the etiological diagnosis of neurological deficits in CLL patients is difficult. CSF analysis may be useful, requiring viral PCR, repeated cytological studies and immunophenotyping analysis. Although rare, leptomeningeal leukemic localization has to be discussed, even in the absence of overt Richter syndrome, and may require an early therapeutic test.
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PMID:Multifocal deficits due to leukemic meningoradiculitis in chronic lymphocytic leukemia. 1910 Sep 98