Marked basophilia in acute promyelocytic leukaemia treated with all-trans retinoic acid: molecular analysis of the cell origin of the basophils.
We report a patient with acute promyelocytic leukaemia who developed marked basophilia during all-trans retinoic acid treatment. We studied genomic DNA and RNA extracted from the patient's peripheral leucocytes in order to determine the origin of the basophils. The RAR alpha rearranged band in the Southern blot analysis and a chimaeric product of PML-RAR alpha by polymerase chain reaction were strongly visible before ATRA treatment, but at the time of maximal basophilia both of them were markedly diminished. These findings suggest that the basophils which appeared during the ATRA treatment are reactive in nature rather than a leukaemic clone.
Iwakiri
R
R
Third Department of Internal Medicine, Nippon Medical School, Tokyo, Japan.
Inokuchi
K
K
Dan
K
K
Nomura
T
T
D001483:Base Sequence; D001491:Basophils / Q000187:drug effects*; D015139:Blotting, Southern; D004273:DNA, Neoplasm / Q000235:genetics; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D015473:Leukemia, Promyelocytic, Acute / Q000097:blood / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000235:genetics; D007958:Leukocyte Count / Q000187:drug effects; D008875:Middle Aged; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000235:genetics; D012334:RNA, Neoplasm / Q000235:genetics; D018168:Receptors, Retinoic Acid / Q000235:genetics*; D000072482:Retinoic Acid Receptor alpha; D014212:Tretinoin / Q000494:pharmacology* / Q000627:therapeutic use
D004273:DNA, Neoplasm; C000607071:RARA protein, human; D012333:RNA, Messenger; D012334:RNA, Neoplasm; D018168:Receptors, Retinoic Acid; D000072482:Retinoic Acid Receptor alpha; D014212:Tretinoin