Does treatment with ARA-C in low dosage cause differentiation of leukemic cells?
A series of 21 patients (5 refractory anemias with an excess of blasts in transformation and 16 acute leukemias) were treated with small doses of ARA-C (10 mg/sq m/12 hr for 15-21 days). Improvement was noted in 15 cases (71%) and complete remission observed in 12 (57%). Complete remission was obtained after one course of treatment in 8 cases. The fact that these patients entered remission relatively slowly and did not suffer marrow aplasia suggests that low-dose ARA-C may function in vivo as it does in vitro, i.e., by inducing differentiation of leukemic blasts.
D000208:Acute Disease; D000368:Aged; D002454:Cell Differentiation / Q000187:drug effects*; D003561:Cytarabine / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D006801:Humans; D007938:Leukemia / Q000188:drug therapy*
D003561:Cytarabine