In patients with myelodysplastic syndromes response to rHuEPO and G-CSF treatment is related to an increase of cytogenetically normal CD34 cells.
The in vivo effect of recombinant human erythropoietin (rHuEpo) and granulocyte colony-stimulating factor (G-CSF) combined treatment on CD34(+) cells was evaluated by fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) in 13 myelodysplastic syndrome (MDS) patients with known cytogenetic abnormalities. After treatment, responsive patients presented a significantly lower proportion of FISH abnormal CD34(+) cells than before treatment (P = 0.003), and in comparison with unresponsive cases (P = 0.007). Response to treatment was associated with a reduced degree of apoptosis in CD34(+) cells (P = 0.021): however, no difference in telomere length was observed in responsive patients after growth factor administration. Although the number of patients analysed was relatively small, the present data suggest that, in MDS patients, response to rHuEpo and G-CSF may be related to the proliferation of karyotypically normal but potentially defective CD34(+) progenitor cells.
Section of Haematology, Department of Biomedical Sciences, University of Ferrara, Ferrara, Italy. rglgmt@unife.it
Gian Matteo
GM
Rigolin
Matteo Della
MD
Porta
Maria
M
Ciccone
Anna Maria
AM
Bugli
Letizia Zenone
LZ
Bragotti
Endri
E
Mauro
Chiara
C
Fraulini
Antonella Russo
AR
Rossi
Antonella
A
Bardi
Antonio
A
Cuneo
Gianluigi
G
Castoldi
D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D018952:Antigens, CD34 / Q000032:analysis; D017209:Apoptosis / Q000187:drug effects; D001854:Bone Marrow Cells / Q000473:pathology; D002455:Cell Division / Q000187:drug effects; D002869:Chromosome Aberrations; D004359:Drug Therapy, Combination; D004921:Erythropoietin / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D005260:Female; D016179:Granulocyte Colony-Stimulating Factor / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D006412:Hematopoietic Stem Cells / Q000473:pathology*; D006801:Humans; D017404:In Situ Hybridization, Fluorescence; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009190:Myelodysplastic Syndromes / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000235:genetics / Q000473:pathology; D011994:Recombinant Proteins; D016615:Telomere / Q000473:pathology; D016896:Treatment Outcome
D018952:Antigens, CD34; D011994:Recombinant Proteins; D004921:Erythropoietin; D016179:Granulocyte Colony-Stimulating Factor