title: Asparagine synthetase activity in paediatric acute leukaemias: AML-M5 subtype shows lowest activity.
abstract: Lack of sufficient cellular activity of asparagine synthetase (AS) in blast cells compared with normal tissue is thought to be the basis of the antileukaemic effect of L-asparaginase in acute lymphoblastic leukaemia (ALL). Although L-asparaginase is routinely used in ALL, its role and value in the treatment of acute myelogenous leukaemia (AML) is still being discussed. To evaluate the pharmacological basis for L-asparaginase treatment, we established pretreatment monitoring of the intracellular AS activity in blast cells of patients with AML and ALL. There was no general difference in AS activity between ALL and AML samples. Significantly lower AS activity, however, was found in the B-lineage ALL subgroups as well as AML-M5.
authors.affiliation: Department of Paediatric Haematology/Oncology, University of Münster, Germany.
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Dübbers
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Würthwein
authors.forename: H J
authors.initials: HJ
authors.lastname: Müller
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Schulze-Westhoff
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Winkelhorst
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Kurzknabe
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Lanvers
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Pieters
authors.forename: G J
authors.initials: GJ
authors.lastname: Kaspers
authors.forename: U
authors.initials: U
authors.lastname: Creutzig
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Ritter
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Boos
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000704:Analysis of Variance; D000970:Antineoplastic Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D001215:Asparaginase / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D001217:Aspartate-Ammonia Ligase / Q000378:metabolism*; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D015448:Leukemia, B-Cell / Q000201:enzymology; D015470:Leukemia, Myeloid, Acute / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000201:enzymology*; D054198:Precursor Cell Lymphoblastic Leukemia-Lymphoma / Q000201:enzymology
chemical_list: D000970:Antineoplastic Agents; D001215:Asparaginase; D001217:Aspartate-Ammonia Ligase