title: Effect of busulfan on oncornavirus-like activity in platelets and chromosomes in polycythemia vera and essential thrombocythemia.
abstract: The effect of busulfan therapy on the activity of oncornavirus-like particles and chromosome patterns in patients with polycythemia vera and essential thrombocythemia was studied. Three patients had pretreatment platelet counts greater than 1 million/microliter, abnormal bone marrow karyotypes, and electron microscopic and biochemical evidence of oncornavirus. The results demonstrated that in all 3 patients virus-like particles and reverse transcriptase-like activity could no longer be found in the platelets within 2-4 weeks after the initiation of busulfan treatment. The platelet count was still elevated at this point for each patient, although the count returned to normal levels within 2-3 weeks after virus-like activity was no longer detectable. The chromosome patterns, characterized by aneuploidy (30-50%) before treatment, improved after therapy.
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000782:Aneuploidy; D001772:Blood Cell Count; D001792:Blood Platelets / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000382:microbiology; D002066:Busulfan / Q000494:pharmacology*; D002875:Chromosomes / Q000187:drug effects*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D009858:Oncogenic Viruses / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000201:enzymology; D011087:Polycythemia Vera / Q000097:blood / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000235:genetics / Q000382:microbiology; D012194:RNA-Directed DNA Polymerase / Q000032:analysis; D013922:Thrombocytosis / Q000097:blood / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000235:genetics / Q000382:microbiology
chemical_list: D012194:RNA-Directed DNA Polymerase; D002066:Busulfan