title: Comparison of clofarabine activity in childhood and adult acute leukemia: individual tumor response study.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Clofarabine is a second-generation nucleoside analogue. The aim of the study was the analysis of ex vivo activity of clofarabine and 14 other anticancer drugs in pediatric and adult acute lymphoblastic (ALL) and myeloid (AML) leukemia.
  
  
  METHODS
  The ex vivo drug resistance profile was analyzed in 282 patients, including 201 children with ALL de novo, 24 children with relapsed ALL, 25 children with AML de novo and 32 adults with AML. Cellular ex vivo drug resistance was tested by means of the MTT assay.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Clofarabine had comparable ex vivo activity against lymphoblasts and myeloblasts, both on initial diagnosis and at relapse, both in children and in adults. Its activity in acute myeloid leukemia was independent of patient age. No significant differences in drug resistance to clofarabine between pediatric age-based subgroups of ALL were detected, while it was observed for most of other drugs. An activity of clofarabine in relapsed pediatric ALL patients was as good as in newly-diagnosed ones.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  In comparison to childhood acute lymphoblastic leukemia, lack of differences in ex vivo activity gives rationale for use of clofarabine in refractory and relapsed pediatric and adult patients with acute myeloid leukemia.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatric Hematology and Oncology, Collegium Medicum, Nicolaus Copernicus University, ul. Curie-Sklodowskiej 9, 85-094 Bydgoszcz, Poland. jstyczynski@cm.umk.pl
authors.forename: Jan
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Styczynski
authors.forename: Lidia
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Gil
authors.forename: Katarzyna
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Derwich
authors.forename: Jacek
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Wachowiak
authors.forename: Walentyna
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Balwierz
authors.forename: Wanda
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Badowska
authors.forename: Maryna
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Krawczuk-Rybak
authors.forename: Michal
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Matysiak
authors.forename: Maria
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Wieczorek
authors.forename: Anna
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Balcerska
authors.forename: Danuta
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Sonta-Jakimczyk
authors.forename: Jolanta
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Stefaniak
authors.forename: Jerzy
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Kowalczyk
authors.forename: Tomasz
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Urasinski
authors.forename: Grazyna
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Sobol
authors.forename: Mieczyslaw
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Komarnicki
authors.forename: Mariusz
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Wysocki
mesh_terms: D000208:Acute Disease; D000227:Adenine Nucleotides / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000970:Antineoplastic Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D001087:Arabinonucleosides / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D000077866:Clofarabine; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007938:Leukemia / Q000188:drug therapy*; D008875:Middle Aged; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D000227:Adenine Nucleotides; D000970:Antineoplastic Agents; D001087:Arabinonucleosides; D000077866:Clofarabine