title: In vitro apoptotic response of freshly isolated chronic myeloid leukemia cells to all-trans retinoic acid and cytosine arabinoside.
abstract: Chronic myeloid leukemia (CML) is a hematological malignancy resulting from clonal expansion and massive accumulation of leukemic myeloid cells that retain differentiation and maturation capacity. Since CML cell accumulation has been related to apoptosis inhibition by the product of the BCR-ABL gene, attempts to eradicate leukemic cells would require therapeutic drugs able to overcome this inherent resistance. Here, we investigated in vitro the apoptotic effect of all-trans retinoic acid (ATRA) and cytosine arabinoside (ARA-C), employed alone, in combination or in sequence, on freshly isolated cells from 10 patients with chronic-phase CML. Our cell cultures showed that both ATRA and ARA-C were able to induce apoptosis in CML cells, even if ARA-C resulted more effective than ATRA. The combined use of ATRA and ARA-C seemed to have only an additive effect while the sequential use did not show any advantage. These in vitro observations indicate that ATRA and ARA-C may be effective in reducing CML cells through apoptosis induction, suggesting that it could be worthwhile to examine ATRA and ARA-C combinations in the therapy of CML.
authors.affiliation: University of Catania, Italy. fsematolo@sirio-oncology.it
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Stagno
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Guglielmo
authors.forename: U
authors.initials: U
authors.lastname: Consoli
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Inghilterra
authors.forename: G M
authors.initials: GM
authors.lastname: Giustolisi
authors.forename: G A
authors.initials: GA
authors.lastname: Palumbo
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Giustolisi
mesh_terms: D015703:Antigens, CD / Q000096:biosynthesis; D015214:Antigens, Differentiation, Myelomonocytic / Q000096:biosynthesis; D000964:Antimetabolites, Antineoplastic / Q000494:pharmacology; D000971:Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols / Q000494:pharmacology; D017209:Apoptosis / Q000187:drug effects*; D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor / Q000097:blood / Q000276:immunology; D002454:Cell Differentiation / Q000187:drug effects; D002469:Cell Separation; D003561:Cytarabine / Q000494:pharmacology*; D053938:DNA Fragmentation / Q000187:drug effects; D004587:Electrophoresis, Agar Gel; D005260:Female; D006098:Granulocytes / Q000187:drug effects / Q000473:pathology; D006801:Humans; D016130:Immunophenotyping; D015464:Leukemia, Myelogenous, Chronic, BCR-ABL Positive / Q000097:blood* / Q000276:immunology / Q000473:pathology*; D015466:Leukemia, Myeloid, Chronic-Phase / Q000097:blood / Q000276:immunology / Q000473:pathology; D016177:Macrophage-1 Antigen / Q000096:biosynthesis; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D063268:Sialic Acid Binding Ig-like Lectin 3; D014212:Tretinoin / Q000494:pharmacology*; D014407:Tumor Cells, Cultured
chemical_list: D015703:Antigens, CD; D015214:Antigens, Differentiation, Myelomonocytic; D000964:Antimetabolites, Antineoplastic; D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor; C571163:CD33 protein, human; D016177:Macrophage-1 Antigen; D063268:Sialic Acid Binding Ig-like Lectin 3; D003561:Cytarabine; D014212:Tretinoin