title: The effect of high-dose methylprednisolone on CD34-positive bone marrow cells in the children with acute myeloblastic leukemia.
abstract: The expression of CD34 antigen on the surface of bone marrow (BM) cells during remission induction was studied in 20 patients with CD34-negative acute myeloblastic leukemia (AML). The patients were given high-dose methylprednisolone (HDMP) alone for one week, after which time mitoxantrone and low-dose Ara-C were added. BM cells from all patients were studied one, two and four weeks after initiation of treatment to evaluate CD34 antigen expression using a three-step peroxidase antiperoxidase staining technique. The mean percentage of CD34-positive BM cells was 5.3% at presentation, increasing to 15.6% in the first week, 12.9% in the second week and 21.7% in the fourth week of therapy. During the same period the mean percentages of the initial BM blasts decreased from 64% to 22%, 7% and 2% in the first, second and fourth weeks of therapy, respectively. The increase in the CD34-positive BM cells one week after HDMP treatment alone suggests that HDMP directly or indirectly stimulates CD34-positive hematopoietic progenitor cells while decreasing BM blasts in patients with AML.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatrics, Hacettepe University Faculty of Medicine, Ankara, Turkey.
authors.forename: A M
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: Tuncer
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Hiçsönmez
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Gümrük
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Albayrak
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Duru
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Güzel
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Sayli
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000704:Analysis of Variance; D018952:Antigens, CD34 / Q000378:metabolism*; D002648:Child; D005938:Glucocorticoids / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000494:pharmacology*; D006412:Hematopoietic Stem Cells / Q000187:drug effects*; D006801:Humans; D015470:Leukemia, Myeloid, Acute / Q000188:drug therapy*; D008775:Methylprednisolone / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000494:pharmacology*; D014421:Turkey
chemical_list: D018952:Antigens, CD34; D005938:Glucocorticoids; D008775:Methylprednisolone