title: Glucocorticoid receptors in leukemias, lymphomas and myelomas of young and old.
abstract: In this paper we have briefly reviewed the nature of leukemias and lymphomas in the old and the young. We surveyed in general the ways in which lymphoid cells and other hematologic elements respond to glucocorticoids, mentioning that there may be direct or indirect effects on their growth by these ligands. We have reviewed the current general model for the action of glucocorticoids in all cells, namely the fact that the actions of these steroids are mediated to a large extent through binding with ligand-activated transcription factors, their receptors. The growing wealth of detail about the nature of the interaction of these receptors with regulatory sites in the genome is discussed. Finally, we have described our results with lines of tissue culture cells representing clones from a typical leukemia of the young, and of myeloma, a typical hematologic malignancy of the elderly. Several features of the effects of glucocorticoids on these cells point up areas that would be pertinent to explore in aging and in the relationship of hematologic diseases to survival and response to therapy in the older versus the younger patient.
authors.affiliation: Department of Human Biological Genetics and Chemistry, University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston 77550.
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Ashraf
authors.forename: E B
authors.initials: EB
authors.lastname: Thompson
mesh_terms: D000367:Age Factors; D000818:Animals; D001483:Base Sequence; D001665:Binding Sites; D003907:Dexamethasone / Q000494:pharmacology; D015973:Gene Expression Regulation, Leukemic; D015972:Gene Expression Regulation, Neoplastic; D005938:Glucocorticoids / Q000502:physiology*; D006801:Humans; D007938:Leukemia / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D008223:Lymphoma / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D051379:Mice; D008954:Models, Biological; D005810:Multigene Family; D009101:Multiple Myeloma / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D011401:Promoter Regions, Genetic; D051381:Rats; D011965:Receptors, Glucocorticoid / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology*; D014407:Tumor Cells, Cultured / Q000187:drug effects
chemical_list: D005938:Glucocorticoids; D011965:Receptors, Glucocorticoid; D003907:Dexamethasone