title: Low-dose Ara-C can cause complete remission of acute non-lymphocytic leukemia: differentiation induction?
abstract: Fourteen patients with acute nonlymphocytic leukemia were treated with low-dose arabinosylcytosine (LDAC). Thirteen patients received subcutaneous injections at a dose of 10 mg/M2 every 12 h. One patient received 25 mg intramuscularly daily. All cases received one to three courses with each course lasting 10-60 days (median 19). Complete remission was achieved in 6 (or 43%) of the patients. Three patients had only cytoreduction and 5 patients did not respond. During the therapy severe thrombocytopenia occurred in all patients while prominent other cytopenias occurred in 10. Two-thirds of the patients achieving a remission had significant myelosuppression. There was one treatment-related death. During therapy 11 patients demonstrated a decrease in leukemia cells with an associated increase in differentiated granulocytes. This included 3 of the 4 complete remitters, and 3 of the 5 nonresponders. These results seem to suggest that the therapeutic effect of low-dose Ara-C may result from a combination of differentiation induction, cytotoxicity and unusual sensitivity of the leukemic cells to this agent.
mesh_terms: D000208:Acute Disease; D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D001853:Bone Marrow / Q000473:pathology; D002454:Cell Differentiation / Q000187:drug effects; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003561:Cytarabine / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007938:Leukemia / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000473:pathology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012074:Remission Induction
chemical_list: D003561:Cytarabine