Protooncogene expression and the clinical characteristics of acute
nonlymphocytic leukemia: A Leukemia Intergroup pilot study
HD Preisler, A Raza, R Larson, M LeBeau, G Browman, J Goldberg, H Grunwald, R Volger, L Verkh and P Singh
Department of Hematologic Oncology, Roswell Park Memorial Institute, NY.
Northern blot analysis was used to assess the level of expression of five
protooncogenes and histone H3 in the bone marrow cells of patients with
acute nonlymphocytic leukemia (ANLL). The relationship between the level of
gene expression and the clinical characteristics of the disease and
response to therapy was studied. The levels of expression of c-myc and
c-myb are weakly correlated and are unrelated to French- American-British
(FAB) type of ANLL. The levels of expression of c-fms, c-fes, and c-fos are
highly correlated with each other and are highest in leukemia with a
monocytic component (c-fms v FAB = .71, c-fes v FAB = .75). High levels of
c-myc expression are associated with a high probability of not responding
to remission induction therapy (P = .004). The converse is true for c-fms
expression levels. High levels of expression of c-myc or c-myb are
associated with short remissions (P = .059 and .065, respectively), perhaps
because they are associated with a high capacity for leukemic cell
self-renewal and/or an inability of leukemic cells to differentiate in
response to chemotherapy.
Volume 73,
Issue 1,
pp. 255-262,
01/01/1989
Copyright © 1989 by The American Society of Hematology
