title: In vitro evaluation of the efficacy of idarubicin in human tumour cells from patients with low-grade non-Hodgkin's lymphoma.
abstract: Evaluating the potential benefit of the new anthracycline, idarubicin (Ida), in lymphoma, 58 tumour samples from patients suffering from low-grade non-Hodgkin's lymphoma (L-NHL), were analysed in vitro for their sensitivity to 0.5 microg/ml Ida. This was compared with the sensitivity to other anthracyclines (0.5 microg/ml), using the fluorometric microculture cytotoxicity assay. A total of 132 samples from patients with acute leukaemia and a cell-line panel representing different resistance mechanisms was included for comparison. The median cell survival of L-NHL cells did not differ after exposing the cells to Ida or daunorubicin (Dnr), whereas epirubicin, doxorubicin (Dox) and mitoxantrone (Mitox) were significantly less cytotoxic than Ida (P < 0.001). The median cell survival in L-NHL cells did not differ from that of acute leukaemia cells after exposure to 0.5 microg/ml Ida, Dnr, Dox and Mitox. Cells from previously treated patients with L-NHL had a higher median survival than cells from untreated patients after exposure to all drugs, except for Ida. In samples from previously untreated patients, Spearman rank correlations were high (Rho = 0.81-0.90) between cell survival after exposure to Ida and the other anthracyclines. The same pattern was observed in the cell-line panel (Rho = 0.78-0.91) (P < 0.05). In contrast, low correlations (Rho = 0.24-0.42) were observed among samples from previously treated patients. Our results indicate a potential benefit of Ida in previously drug-treated patients with L-NHL.
authors.affiliation: Department of Medical Sciences, University Hospital, S-751 85 Uppsala, Sweden. anna.aleskog@medsci.uu.se
authors.forename: Anna
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Aleskog
authors.forename: Elin
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Jonsson
authors.forename: Rolf
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Larsson
authors.forename: Peter
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Nygren
authors.forename: Jörgen
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Kristensen
authors.forename: Christer
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Sundström
authors.forename: Martin
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Höglund
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000903:Antibiotics, Antineoplastic / Q000494:pharmacology*; D002470:Cell Survival / Q000187:drug effects; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D015255:Idarubicin / Q000494:pharmacology*; D007938:Leukemia / Q000473:pathology; D008228:Lymphoma, Non-Hodgkin / Q000473:pathology*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D014407:Tumor Cells, Cultured
chemical_list: D000903:Antibiotics, Antineoplastic; D015255:Idarubicin