title: In vitro evaluation of fludarabine in combination with cyclophosphamide and/or mitoxantrone in B-cell chronic lymphocytic leukemia.
abstract: B-chronic lymphocytic leukemia (B-CLL) is characterized by the accumulation of long-lived CD5(+) B lymphocytes. We have analyzed the effect in vitro of the combination of fludarabine with cyclophosphamide and/or mitoxantrone on cells from 20 B-CLL patients. Mafosfamide, the active form of cyclophosphamide in vitro, increased the cytotoxicity of fludarabine in all of the patients studied and produced a significant synergistic effect (P <.01) after 48 hours of incubation. The addition of mitoxantrone to this combination increased the cytotoxic effect in cells from 8 patients, but in the remaining 12 patients no significant increase was observed. The effect of fludarabine and mafosfamide was dose-dependent. Mafosfamide and fludarabine had a synergistic effect in inducing apoptosis of B-CLL cells as determined by DNA staining with propidium iodide and analysis of phosphatidylserine exposure. Mafosfamide significantly increased the apoptosis induced by fludarabine on CD19(+) cells (P =.007), but not on CD3(+) cells (P =. 314). Cell viability was correlated with a decrease in Mcl-1 levels and an increase in p53 levels. These results support that fludarabine in combination with cyclophosphamide and/or mitoxantrone can be highly effective in the treatment of B-CLL.
authors.affiliation: Departament de Ciències Fisiològiques II, Universitat de Barcelona, Campus de Bellvitge, L'Hospitalet, Spain.
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Bellosillo
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Villamor
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Colomer
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Pons
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Montserrat
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Gil
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D018941:Antigens, CD19 / Q000032:analysis; D000971:Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols / Q000494:pharmacology*; D017209:Apoptosis / Q000187:drug effects; D016175:B-Lymphocyte Subsets / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000473:pathology; D017252:CD3 Complex / Q000032:analysis; D003520:Cyclophosphamide / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000031:analogs & derivatives* / Q000494:pharmacology*; D004354:Drug Screening Assays, Antitumor; D004357:Drug Synergism; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D015451:Leukemia, Lymphocytic, Chronic, B-Cell / Q000473:pathology*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D008942:Mitoxantrone / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000494:pharmacology*; D064549:Myeloid Cell Leukemia Sequence 1 Protein; D009363:Neoplasm Proteins / Q000032:analysis; D014411:Neoplastic Stem Cells / Q000187:drug effects*; D011518:Proto-Oncogene Proteins / Q000032:analysis; D019253:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-bcl-2 / Q000032:analysis; D016159:Tumor Suppressor Protein p53 / Q000032:analysis; D014740:Vidarabine / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000031:analogs & derivatives* / Q000494:pharmacology; D051028:bcl-2-Associated X Protein; D051020:bcl-X Protein
chemical_list: D018941:Antigens, CD19; C494811:BCL2L1 protein, human; D017252:CD3 Complex; D064549:Myeloid Cell Leukemia Sequence 1 Protein; D009363:Neoplasm Proteins; D011518:Proto-Oncogene Proteins; D019253:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-bcl-2; D016159:Tumor Suppressor Protein p53; D051028:bcl-2-Associated X Protein; D051020:bcl-X Protein; C048341:mafosfamide; D003520:Cyclophosphamide; D008942:Mitoxantrone; D014740:Vidarabine; C024352:fludarabine