Dexamethasone does not counteract the response of acute promyelocytic leukaemia cells to all-trans retinoic acid.
Retinoic acid syndrome is a serious condition that may complicate the treatment of acute promyelocytic leukaemia patients. This syndrome may be treated effectively with high-dose corticosteroid therapy and, as a result, many patients with acute promyelocytic leukaemia receive dexamethasone at some point during treatment. We investigated whether dexamethasone would also antagonize the beneficial effects of retinoic acid. In t(15;17)-positive NB4 cells, dexamethasone did not affect the retinoic acid induced differentiation, normalization of PML-nuclear bodies or the induction of thrombomodulin mRNA. Finally, dexamethasone did not inhibit the anti-proliferative effect of retinoic acid but rather showed anti-proliferative activity itself.
de Ridder
M C
MC
Institute of Haematology, Erasmus University of Rotterdam, Rotterdam, The Netherlands. deridder@hema.fgg.eur.nl
van der Plas
A J
AJ
Erpelinck-Verschueren
C A
CA
Löwenberg
B
B
Jansen
J H
JH
D018931:Antineoplastic Agents, Hormonal / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D015152:Blotting, Northern; D018821:CD18 Antigens / Q000378:metabolism; D002455:Cell Division / Q000187:drug effects; D002471:Cell Transformation, Neoplastic / Q000187:drug effects; D003907:Dexamethasone / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D006801:Humans; D015473:Leukemia, Promyelocytic, Acute / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D018180:Thrombomodulin / Q000378:metabolism; D014212:Tretinoin / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D014407:Tumor Cells, Cultured
D018931:Antineoplastic Agents, Hormonal; D018821:CD18 Antigens; D018180:Thrombomodulin; D014212:Tretinoin; D003907:Dexamethasone