Gene/Protein Disease Symptom Drug Enzyme Compound
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Query: UMLS:C0023418 (leukemia)
 93,477 document(s) hit in 31,850,051 MEDLINE articles (0.00 seconds)

The retinoids: all-transretinoic acid (tretinoin), 13-cis retinoic acid (isotretinoin) and the aromatic retinoids etretinate and acitretin have a preventive and therapeutic effect on chemically-induced tumours. Clinically, retinoids have shown variable effectiveness in therapy and/or prevention of oncological diseases of skin, head and neck, lung, bladder, vulva and bone marrow. With a few exceptions, monotherapy with retinoids has not been satisfactory. Similarly, monotherapy with interferon alpha has been used successfully only for some specific indications. Retinoids have a marked differentiation-inducing effect which may contribute to their therapeutic effect. Experiments were carried out in transformed cell lines to test the combination of retinoids with interferon alpha and other cytokines on differentiation. In HL-60 cells, an acute promyelocytic leukaemia cell line, induction of differentiation was determined by induction of an oxidative burst potential. Retinoids showed the following order of activity: tretinoin greater than isotretinoin greater than acitretin. Cytokines had no differentiation-inducing effect by themselves. However, the addition of the following cytokines to retinoids potentiated the retinoid-induced differentiation: IFN alpha, IFN beta, IFN gamma, TNF alpha, G-CSF, IL-1 alpha and IL-4. In experiments with HL-60 or other cell lines, the pattern of differentiation-induction was always dependent on the particular retinoid/cytokine combination. IFN alpha provoked a marked potentiation of retinoid-induced differentiation. The combination of the antiproliferative and differentiation-inducing effect of the retinoids together with the antiproliferative, immunostimulatory and differentiation-potentiating effects of IFN alpha suggests that this combination might be a particularly promising treatment for neoplastic diseases.
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PMID:Retinoids and interferon: a new promising combination? 171 90

The blast cells of acute myeloblastic leukemia (AML) usually require growth factors for optimum proliferation in cell culture. Growth factors also affect the sensitivity of AML blast cells to cytosine arabinoside (ara-C). Others have reported that factor-treated cells are more ara-C sensitive than blasts in culture without factors. These authors have reported previously that AML blasts grown with rG-CSF, with or without GM-CSF, are more sensitive than cells in GM-CSF alone. This paper reports experiments which show that changes in the ara-C sensitivities of blast cells in different growth factors are not explained by changes in the percentage of cells in the DNA synthesis (S) phase of the cycle. Blasts freshly obtained from five AML patients were cultured in either rG-CSF, rGM-CSF, or rIL-3; they were then exposed to 20 min pulses of either high specific activity tritiated thymidine (3HTdR) or a high concentration of ara-C. Regardless of the factor present, the pulse of 3HTdR decreased the number of clonogenic cells by about 50%, the result expected for actively proliferating cells with an S phase occupying about half the cycle time. The same result was found for four of the five blast cell populations grown in G-CSF and pulsed with ara-C; in contrast, clonogenic cells grown in GM-CSF or IL-3 from these four populations were not killed by ara-C. The blasts from the fifth patient were ara-C resistant under all conditions. It was concluded that exposure to GM-CSF or IL-3 decreased ara-C sensitivity in blasts that were actively making DNA. The observation was explored in more detail using a cell line (OCI/AML-1a) that is both ara-C sensitive and growth factor dependent. These studies showed that about 15 h of growth in factor are required for a change in ara-C sensitivity.
Leukemia 1991 Sep
PMID:Granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor and interleukin-3 protect leukemic blast cells from ara-C toxicity. 171 8

We analysed the effects of recombinant human G-CSF (rhG-CSF) and retinoic acid (RA) on proliferation and differentiation of HL-60 cells and human acute myeloid leukemic (AML) cells. A synergistic effect on granulocyte differentiation was observed when HL-60 cells and primary cultured acute promyelocyte leukemic cells were cocultured with 10(-8)mol/L RA plus 1:2000 or 1:1000 rhG-CSF. The rhG-CSF plus RA treated cells demonstrated significant increase in the percentage of mature cells. Morphological changes and nitroblue tetrazolium (NBT) reduction activity evidenced more increase than RA treatment alone (P less than 0.001). The results suggest that RA not only inhibits the proliferative action of G-CSF, but also retains and enhances the action of G-CSF to induce differentiation. Therefore, we believe that the combined use of G-CSF with RA may improve the treatment of leukemia.
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PMID:[Granulocyte differentiation of human promyelocytic leukemic cells induced by coordinate action of granulocyte colony stimulating factor and retinoic acid]. 172 Oct 2

Using colony assays in semi-solid media, several investigators have shown that supernatants (SN) of normal and malignant human B-cells can stimulate the growth of granulocyte-macrophage (GM) progenitor cells. So far macrophage colony-stimulating factor (M-CSF) and interleukin-6 (IL-6) have been identified as potential colony-stimulating activity (CSA) present in B-cell SN. However, other CSAs such as GM-CSF, G-CSF, IL-1-beta, IL-3, and IL-4 may also be candidates in this respect. Several human B-cell lines (CL) were screened for the expression of the respective genes at the mRNA and protein level. Constitutive production of GM-CSF was detected in the lymphoblastoid CL Wi-L2-729-HF2 and in the Burkitt line Raji. The signal intensity of specific transcripts and the amount of protein being secreted increased upon exposure to the phorbol ester PMA. The hybridoma line HB-564 also expressed the GM-CSF gene, but required prior stimulation with PMA. 3H-thymidine incorporation of Raji and Wi-L2-729-HF2 cells was unchanged in the presence or absence of a specific neutralizing sheep anti-GM-CSF serum, suggesting that GM-CSF did not serve as an extracellular autocrine growth factor. The expression of the GM-CSF gene was independent of the proliferative state (log phase growth versus plateau phase growth) and of the presence of serum in cultures of the respective CL. The expression of G-CSF, IL-1-beta, IL-3, and IL-4 genes was not detectable in the CL at the mRNA level.
Leukemia 1991 Aug
PMID:Screening for expression of cytokines with hematopoietic growth factor activity by permanent human B-cell lines. 188 24

Evidence is presented that human monocytes and acute myeloblastic leukemic (AML) cells contain both high and low affinity binding sites for interleukin-4 (IL-4). On monocytes 183 +/- 132 high affinity binding sites per cell with a Kd of 60 +/- 29 pM and 1500 +/- 600 low affinity receptors with a Kd of 2.3 +/- 0.4 nM (X +/- S.D., n = 6) could be demonstrated. On AML cells (n = 11) a comparable number and binding affinity of IL-4 receptors were observed (77 +/- 36 high affinity receptors with Kd 72 +/- 31 pM and 2400 +/- 1000 low affinity receptors with Kd of 2.2 +/- 0.7 nM). In addition, no cross-competition was shown between radiolabeled IL-4 and IL-1-alpha, IL-3, IL-6, IL-7, G-CSF, and GM-CSF. Both types of receptors on monocytes as well as on leukemic blasts could be down-modulated in a similar fashion by IL-4 and activators of protein kinase C (PKC), but not by the calcium ionophore A23187. The down-modulation by PKC activators was caused by an increased internalization, degradation and release of radiolabeled IL-4 in the medium. Finally, the functionality of the IL-4 receptors were tested on AML cells with a 3H-thymidine proliferation assay. In 8/11 cases IL-4 affected AML proliferation. These data demonstrate two different binding sites for IL-4 on normal and leukemic cells, which can be modulated by external activation signals in an analogous way.
Leukemia 1991 Sep
PMID:Expression and regulation of IL-4 receptors on human monocytes and acute myeloblastic leukemic cells. 194 30

We studied the effect of 4'-epi-adriamycin on the differentiation of WEHI-3B (D+) murine myelomonocytic leukemia cell line (parent line) and WEHI-3B-MIT-R subline resistant to induction of differentiation by mitoxantrone. WEHI-3B(D+) cells were differentiated into mature granulocytes in suspension culture when exposed to 4'-epi-adriamycin regardless of the cell densities. The maximum differentiation rate was produced by 50 nM 4'-epi-adriamycin; at this concentration, approximately 40% of the cell population expressed a differentiated phenotype, as assessed by their ability to reduce nitroblue tetrazolium Induction of differentiation was observed by 4'-epi-adriamycin even at low cell densities (less than 10(5)/ml) that excluded the effects of autoinduction of differentiation. WEHI-3B-MIT-R cell line, which have a capacity of G-CSF-induced differentiation, was cross-resistance to 4'-epi-adriamycin. These results suggest that the mechanism of action differs from that of the induction of differentiation by G-CSF (which is known to show the activity by the secondary autoinduction of differentiation) and the differentiation induction is due to the direct action of 4'-epi-adriamycin.
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PMID:[Cell differentiation action of 4'-epi-adriamycin in WEHI-3B myelomonocytic leukemia cells]. 195 60

Tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-alpha) has been previously shown to modulate the expression of hematopoietic growth factor genes in monocytes and other mesenchymal cells. As acute myeloblastic leukemia (AML) blasts can express and produce hematopoietic growth factors, the influence of TNF-alpha on the accumulation of mRNAs for c-myc, interleukin-3 (IL-3), granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor (GM-CSF), G-CSF, IL-6 and IL-1 beta was evaluated in fresh blasts from 13 patients with AML. Total cellular RNA was extracted from blast cells cultured for 24 hours with or without TNF-alpha (500 U/ml). The c-myc transcript level was decreased by TNF-alpha treatment in 9/13 cases, and increased in only one case. Among the growth factor genes, the GM-CSF gene was more often and consistently influenced by TNF-alpha, increased levels of its transcript being observed in 6/13 cases following treatment with the cytokine; in no case was there a reduction of GM-CSF mRNA. G-CSF and IL-6 transcripts were more heterogeneously influenced, whereas the IL-3 transcript was never detected in our AML samples. The IL-1 beta message was present in 8/13 untreated and in 13/13 TNF-alpha treated samples. Moreover, in untreated cells, GM-CSF, G-CSF and IL-6 expression was always associated with IL-beta expression. These findings indicate that TNF-alpha can modulate the levels of growth factor transcripts in AML blasts, and raise questions about the effects of TNF-alpha on leukemic hematopoiesis, considering that TNF-alpha, IL-1 and GM-CSF can synergistically stimulate the growth of AML clonogenic cells.
Leukemia 1991 Oct
PMID:Tumor necrosis factor alpha modulates the messenger RNA expression of hematopoietic growth factor genes in fresh blast cells from patients with acute myeloblastic leukemia. 196 Oct 22

We investigated the induction of tissue factor by lymphokines in human monoblastic leukemia cell lines (U937) and leukemic cells from AML (acute myelogenous leukemia) patients. After incubation for 24 h, IL-2 enhanced the intracellular tissue factor 15-fold with U937 cells, and GM-CSF enhanced it 6-fold. In contrast, other lymphokines, such as IL-1-alpha, IL-1-beta, IL-3, IL-4 and G-CSF, did not affect the activity of tissue factor. The leukemic blasts, depleted of T-lymphocytes, taken from five out of 16 AML patients showed a 2.5-14-fold increase in the activity of tissue factor per cell following incubation with 200 u/ml of IL-2 for 72 h. The IL-2 induced tissue factor activity more markedly than GM-CSF. Tissue factor stimulation by IL-2 did not correlate with the expression of the IL-2 receptor, Tac, but correlated well with FAB classification of AML cells. IL-2 responders were found in M4 and M5 subtypes only, but not all M4/M5 leukemias responded to IL-2. These findings indicate that IL-2 can mediate the tissue factor induction in the monocytic type of AML and the effect is not mediated by Tac receptors. This may shed a new light on our understanding of hypercoagulability in acute monoblastic leukemia.
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PMID:Induction of tissue factor by interleukin-2 in acute myelogenous leukemia (AML) cells. 208 39

During a trial using recombinant human interleukin-2 (rhIL-2) immunotherapy for acute myeloblastic leukaemia (AML) in remission, eosinophilia was observed in all patients. We used in-vitro clonogenic assays to investigate the mechanism of the eosinophilia in five patients. The mean eosinophil count increased from 0.05 x 10(9)/l before rhIL-2 to 0.98 x 10(9)/l within 48 h of stopping the infusion, and an exponential correlation between the pretreatment lymphocyte CD4:CD8 ratio and the maximum eosinophil count was observed. RhIL-2 did not stimulate eosinophil colony formation by normal bone marrow. However, serum collected from patients during rhIL-2 infusion was a potent stimulator of eosinophil colony forming units (CFU-Eo), but had no significant stimulatory effect on granulocyte-macrophage colony forming units (CFU-GM). The CFU-Eo stimulation by pre-treatment serum was 2.8-fold higher than control serum. Serum collected during treatment stimulated CFU-Eo 12 times more than control serum (P less than 0.05). By pre-incubating patient serum, collected during rhIL-2 treatment, with monoclonal antibodies to murine IL-5, or human granulocyte-macrophage colony stimulating factor (GM-CSF), a reduction of 80% and 38% respectively in eosinophil and GM colony production was found. The CFU-Eo stimulating effect of patient serum was in the range of the CFU-Eo stimulating effect of normal serum, after the addition of 5 u/ml of recombinant murine IL-5. The results suggest that eosinophilia was caused by IL-5 and GM-CSF production by rhIL-2 stimulated CD4 positive lymphocytes. The location on chromosomes 5 of the genes for IL-5, GM-CSF and IL-3 may be associated with regulation of expression, by a common mechanism, of all the factors known to be involved in eosinophil production. This mechanism may be activated by IL-2 stimulation. The separate location on chromosome 17 of the G-CSF gene may explain the ability of IL-2 to produce a distinct stimulus to eosinophil but not neutrophil production.
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PMID:Interleukin-2 treatment-associated eosinophilia is mediated by interleukin-5 production. 209 20

Biological modification in cancer therapy involves many different strategies and substances. Bacterial products with established usefulness include BCG, C. parvum and L-Asparaginase. Immunotherapy with such agents has not, however, found general application, although revived interest in 'Coley's mixed toxins' (used earlier this century) paralleled the development of their presumed effector molecules, tumour necrosis factor and lymphotoxin. Many other Cytokines, both natural or recombinant, are now produced on a vast scale following the recent biotechnology revolution. Of these, Alpha Interferons have already proved useful in hairy cell leukaemia, carcinoid tumours, renal cell cancer, Kaposi's sarcoma, chronic granulocytic leukaemia and certain lymphomas, whilst their use as adjuvants or in combination is currently being investigated. More recently, Interleukin-2, which stimulates the clonal expansion of activated T-cells, has shown promise both as a single agent, and when used with lymphokine activated killer (LAK) cells or tumour infiltrating lymphocytes (TILS). A different approach involves the Colony Stimulating Factors such as G-CSF and GM-CSF which reduce the degree and duration of treatment-related myelosuppression, thereby allowing more intensive cytotoxic or radiation therapy, as well as facilitating early recovery following bone marrow transplantation. Monoclonal antibodies have not proved as specific for malignant cells as was originally hoped, but certain tumours, such as lymphoma, are now realistic targets for therapy. Increasingly sophisticated effector mechanisms (e.g. conjugated pro-drugs) and genetically engineered "humanised" monoclonal antibody hybrids present the brightest hopes for the future. Biotherapy, the "fourth modality of cancer treatment" has already assumed its place alongside surgery, radiotherapy and cytotoxic chemotherapy, and will grow in importance as our understanding of the molecular biology of cancer increases in the coming decades.
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PMID:Biological modifiers and their role in cancer therapy. 218 42


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