Circulating transferrin receptor in acute leukemias.
Serum transferrin receptor (s-TR) levels in acute leukemia patients were measured by a recently developed sandwich radioimmunoassay. The mean s-TR level for normal subjects (n = 205) was 246 +/- 79 (mean +/- 1 SD) ng/ml. The values for patients with untreated acute myelocytic leukemia (AML, n = 18) and untreated acute lymphocytic leukemia (ALL, n = 14) were 398 +/- 175 ng/ml and 479 +/- 176 ng/ml, respectively, both of which were significantly higher than those for the normal subjects (AML, p < 0.02; ALL, p < 0.05). When complete remission was achieved with initial remission induction therapy, s-TR decreased to 262 +/- 47 ng/ml (n = 22, 12 AML and 10 ALL), returning to normal levels. There was a good correlation between s-TR levels and the number of leukemic cells in peripheral blood (r = 0.743, n = 32, p < 0.01). In two patients with AML, serial changes of s-TR values and numbers of blast cells in the peripheral blood and bone marrow occurred in a parallel manner. If, therefore, this assay for s-TR can be made more sensitive, it may become useful for assessing acute leukemia activity and for monitoring the effects of therapy.
Kato
J
J
Department of Internal Medicine, Sapporo Medical College, Japan.
Kohgo
Y
Y
Kondo
H
H
Nishisato
T
T
Sasaki
K
K
Tsushima
N
N
Hirayama
M
M
Fujikawa
K
K
Sintani
N
N
Miyazaki
E
E
D000208:Acute Disease; D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor / Q000097:blood*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007938:Leukemia / Q000097:blood / Q000175:diagnosis*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011863:Radioimmunoassay; D011990:Receptors, Transferrin / Q000032:analysis*; D012016:Reference Values
D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor; D011990:Receptors, Transferrin