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ABBREVIATIONS. Range and clinical significance of the number of myeloid‐committed stem cells in the blood of patients with acute leukaemia in remission
Author(s) -
Hinterberger Wolfgang,
Bettelheim Peter,
Höcker Paul,
Lechner Klaus,
Neumann Erich,
Niessner Herwig
Publication year - 1984
Publication title -
scandinavian journal of haematology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.904
H-Index - 84
eISSN - 1600-0609
pISSN - 0036-553X
DOI - 10.1111/j.1600-0609.1984.tb02223.x
Subject(s) - cfu gm , prednisolone , vincristine , cyclophosphamide , medicine , mercaptopurine , methotrexate , chemotherapy , gastroenterology , cytarabine , immunology , progenitor cell , biology , stem cell , genetics
Circulating granulocyte/macrophage progenitor cells (CFU‐GM) were assayed serially during remission in 17 patients with acute leukaemia (9 ALL, 8 AML). In patients with ALL receiving cyclophosphamide, 6‐mercaptopurine and methotrexate, CFU‐GM numbers were significantly lower than in normal individuals; cycles of ‘reinduction’ chemotherapy (vincristine, prednisolone) caused a 10‐fold increase in CFU‐GM per ml of blood. In 2 ALL patients a substantial increase in CFU‐GM numbers preceded the morphologically detectable relapse. In patients with AML receiving repeated courses of cytosine‐arabinoside and 6‐mercaptopurine, circulating CFU‐GM were likewise reduced. In 6 patients who relapsed, a further reduction of CFU‐GM was seen. A complete absence of circulating CFU‐GM was observed in 10 of the 23 investigations performed within 6 weeks prior to the morphologically detectable relapse, while such a ‘zero’‐growth ooccurred in only 1 of 54 experiments performed during stable remission. In summary, in patients with ALL in remission, circulating CFU‐GM are increased following treatment with vincristine and prednisolone. In patients with AML, declining numbers of circulating CFU‐GM may predict an imminent relapse.