1. Complete remission through blast cell differentiation inPLZF/RARα-positive acute promyelocytic leukemia: in vitro and in vivo studies
by Maria C. Petti, Francesco Fazi, Massimo Gentile, Daniela Diverio, Paolo De Fabritiis, M. Stefania De Propris, Roberto Fiorini, Maria A. Aloe Spiriti, Fabrizio Padula, Pier Giuseppe Pelicci, Clara Nervi, and Francesco Lo Coco
Blood
Volume 100(3):
August 1, 2002
©2002 by American Society of Hematology

2. In vitro effect of ATRA, TSA, and HU in various combinations on t(11;17) APL (patient's blasts), t(15;17) primary APL, and ATRA-resistant t(15;17) APL.Primary blasts from patient's bone marrow at leukemia relapse, from an ATRA-resistant t(15;17) APL patient...
In vitro effect of ATRA, TSA, and HU in various combinations on t(11;17) APL (patient's blasts), t(15;17) primary APL, and ATRA-resistant t(15;17) APL.Primary blasts from patient's bone marrow at leukemia relapse, from an ATRA-resistant t(15;17) APL patient and from a t(15;17) APL patient at diagnosis were cultured (1.5 to 2 × 106 cells/mL) in RPMI 1640 medium supplemented with 10% fetal calf serum (FCS) and treated with 1 μM ATRA and/or 100 ng/mL TSA for 5 days as described.12 Differentiation of these blasts was evaluated by morphology in Wright-Giemsa–stained cytospins (panels A and B). Original magnifications, × 40. Differentiation was quantified by the nitroblue tetrazolium (NBT) dye reduction assay (panel C) after treatment of blasts with the indicated agents for 5 days in culture. Results are expressed as the average values of the percentages of positive cells evaluated in at least 10 microscopic fields ± SD. (D) Quantitative fluorescence activated cell sorting (FACS) analysis of the differentiation antigen CD11a and CD11b in APL t(11;17) blasts induced by 4 days of treatment with 1 μM ATRA and/or 50 ng/mL TSA.
Maria C. Petti et al. Blood 2002;100:
©2002 by American Society of Hematology

3. In vivo response of t(11;17)-AML-M3 to combined treatment with ATRA and hydroxyurea.(A) Wright-Giemsa staining of bone marrow leukemic cells collected at the indicated days of treatment (day 0, 20, 43).
In vivo response of t(11;17)-AML-M3 to combined treatment with ATRA and hydroxyurea.(A) Wright-Giemsa staining of bone marrow leukemic cells collected at the indicated days of treatment (day 0, 20, 43). A neutrophilic granulocyte displays several Auer rods in the cytosol, indicating its descent from differentiated leukemia blasts. Original magnifications, × 40. (B) Southern blot analysis of the RARα second intron in leukemia blasts pretreatment (day 0), maturing marrow cells collected at day 20, and neutrophils obtained from day 43 bone marrow buffy coat. The germline 19 kilobase (kb) band observed in normal placental DNA (lane C) and in all other lanes is indicated by the bar. An upper band is also visible in marrow DNAs obtained at day 0, 20, and 43, corresponding to the rearranged RARα allele. (C) Time course of peripheral blood leucocytes during treatment. (D) Sequential immunophenotypic study of bone marrow mononuclear cells as determined by FACS analysis. Increase of CD15 staining cells at day 20 was followed by augment of CD11b and CD14-positive elements (day 43) coupled to decrease of CD117 and CD56 staining cells (days 43 and 56).
Maria C. Petti et al. Blood 2002;100:
©2002 by American Society of Hematology