title: Soluble l-selectin (sCD62L) in relapsed childhood acute lymphoblastic leukaemia.
abstract: Soluble l-selectin (sCD62L) plasma concentrations at diagnosis and outcome were investigated in 193 children at first relapse of acute lymphoblastic leukaemia (ALL) after treatment according to the Berlin-Frankfurt-Münster relapsed ALL multicentre trials, ALL-REZ BFM 95 and 96. sCD62L was low (< fifth paediatric reference percentile) in 63 (33%) and high (> 95th percentile) in 36 (19%) children, and was independent of remission duration, sex, BCR-ABL fusion or extramedullary disease. High sCD62L was associated with circulating blasts and T-cell phenotype. More initial adverse events occurred in children with high and low levels of sCD62L (23 out of 99) than in those with normal levels (9 out of 94, P = 0.018). Among 75 worst-prognosis patients (risk groups S3/S4, isolated bone marrow relapse occurring less than 6 months after elective cessation of front-line therapy, or T-cell phenotype with bone marrow involvement), 27 had low sCD62L and decreased event-free survival (EFS) probability (PEFS5 = 0.09 at 5 years) and duration (219 d) compared with normal sCD62L (29 out of 75, PEFS5 = 0.24, 640 d, P = 0.01). Low (44 out of 118), normal (72 out of 118), and high (19 out of 118) sCD62L non-S3/S4 patients fared similarly (average PEFS5 = 0.45, 1369 d; P = 0.5). Low sCD62L may be a marker of malignant blasts replacing normal sCD62L-producing haematopoietic cells. In children with first relapse of ALL and worst prognosis, plasma sCD62L may be useful for risk-adapted stratification.
authors.affiliation: Paediatric Oncology-Haematology and Neonatology, Otto-Heubner-Centre for Paediatric and Adolescent Medicine, Charité, Virchow Medical Centre, Humboldt University, Berlin, Germany. ralf.herold@charite.de
authors.forename: Ralf
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Herold
authors.forename: Dietger
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Stibenz
authors.forename: Reinhard
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Hartmann
authors.forename: Günter
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Henze
authors.forename: Christoph
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Bührer
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000971:Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D018572:Disease-Free Survival; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D019041:L-Selectin / Q000097:blood*; D008297:Male; D054198:Precursor Cell Lymphoblastic Leukemia-Lymphoma / Q000097:blood / Q000188:drug therapy*; D012008:Recurrence; D012307:Risk Factors; D016896:Treatment Outcome
chemical_list: D019041:L-Selectin