title: Childhood acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL): sister chromatid exchange (SCE) frequency and lymphocyte subpopulations during therapy.
abstract: Sister chromatid exchanges (SCE) and lymphocyte subsets of children with acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) were investigated during chemotherapy. The treatment followed protocol ALL-BFM-90. Children with ALL at the time of diagnosis showed statistically significant higher SCE frequencies (4.9 +/- 0.77) than healthy controls (3.6 +/- 0.93; P = 0.002). The in vivo effects of cyclophosphamide (CP) resulted in a dramatic increase of the SCE frequency (20.5 +/- 3.76). This increased SCE level of lymphocytes might reflect an instability of DNA or a deficiency of DNA repair. One could suggest that lymphocytes of children with ALL might have a higher susceptibility to harmful influences; and this could be a co-factor towards the development of the malignant disease. However, immediately 1 week after the administration of CP, the SCE rate decreased. This decline of SCE frequency correlated with a severe reduction of the absolute number of T lymphocytes. The observed reduction of SCE frequency may be due to a loss of T lymphocytes, or SCE became repaired during 1 week.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatrics, Faculty of Medicine, Technical University Aachen, FRG.
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Mertens
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Rubbert
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Büssing
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000971:Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D001215:Asparaginase / Q000008:administration & dosage; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D002877:Chromosomes, Human / Q000187:drug effects / Q000648:ultrastructure; D003520:Cyclophosphamide / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000494:pharmacology*; D003561:Cytarabine / Q000008:administration & dosage; D003630:Daunorubicin / Q000008:administration & dosage; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D016130:Immunophenotyping; D007223:Infant; D018655:Lymphocyte Count; D016131:Lymphocyte Subsets / Q000187:drug effects; D008297:Male; D015122:Mercaptopurine / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000494:pharmacology; D008727:Methotrexate / Q000008:administration & dosage; D054198:Precursor Cell Lymphoblastic Leukemia-Lymphoma / Q000097:blood / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000235:genetics*; D011241:Prednisone / Q000008:administration & dosage; D012854:Sister Chromatid Exchange / Q000187:drug effects; D013997:Time Factors; D014750:Vincristine / Q000008:administration & dosage
chemical_list: D003561:Cytarabine; D014750:Vincristine; D003520:Cyclophosphamide; D015122:Mercaptopurine; D001215:Asparaginase; D011241:Prednisone; D008727:Methotrexate; D003630:Daunorubicin