[Application of all-trans retinoic acid combining chemotherapy and As4S4 in the maintenance treatment of patients with acute promyelocytic leukemia].
OBJECTIVE
To compare the efficacy of all-trans retinoic acid (ATRA) combining chemotherapy and As4S4 with ATRA combining chemotherapy for the maintenance treatment of patients with acute promyelocytic leukemia (APL).


METHODS
Sixty patients with APL induced to complete remission by ATRA and consolidated by chemotherapy were randomly divided into two groups. Thirty patients as As4S4 group received ATRA + As4S4 + chemotherapy, and another thirty patients as non-As4S4 group were treated only with ATRA + chemotherapy as maintenance therapy. The therapeutic effects, side effects and PML-RARalpha gene expression were analyzed.


RESULTS
The three-year continuous complete remission (CCR) rate was 90.0% for As4S4 group and 61.1% for non-As4S4 group, the difference being statistically significant. Significant difference was also found in the positive rate of PML-RARalpha fusion gene between the two groups. The side effects were mild.


CONCLUSIONS
APL patients in maintenance therapy with ATRA + 6-MP + MTX + As4S4 can obtain a higher CCR.
Lin
Quan-de
QD
Department of Hematology, Henan Tumor Hospital, Henan Institute of Hematology, Zhengzhou, China.
Wei
Xu-dong
XD
Wang
Ping
P
Liu
Yan-yan
YY
Zhang
Li-na
LN
Li
Yu-fu
YF
Gao
Quan-li
QL
Zhu
Xing-hu
XH
Zhang
Yang-li
YL
Fang
Bai-jun
BJ
Yue
Han
H
Du
Jian-wei
JW
Jiang
Dong-xia
DX
Hu
Jie-ying
JY
Song
Yong-ping
YP
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000971:Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols / Q000008:administration & dosage* / Q000009:adverse effects; D001152:Arsenicals / Q000627:therapeutic use; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D015473:Leukemia, Promyelocytic, Acute / Q000188:drug therapy*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012074:Remission Induction; D013440:Sulfides / Q000627:therapeutic use; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D014212:Tretinoin / Q000627:therapeutic use
D001152:Arsenicals; D013440:Sulfides; D014212:Tretinoin; C534735:tetraarsenic tetrasulfide