Direct relationship between remission duration in acute myeloid leukemia
and cell cycle kinetics: a leukemia intergroup study
A Raza, HD Preisler, R Day, Z Yasin, M White, J Lykins, C Kukla, M Barcos, J Bennett and G Browman
Roswell Park Memorial Institute, Buffalo, NY.
Cell cycle characteristics including labeling indices (LI), duration of
S-phase (Ts), and total cell cycle time (Tc) were determined in 54
standard-risk, newly diagnosed patients with acute myeloid leukemia
following an infusion of bromodeoxyuridine. Remission induction therapy
consisting of cytosine arabinoside and daunomycin was then administered to
all patients, followed by three courses of consolidation to those who
achieved complete remissions (CR). Older patients appeared to have more
rapidly cycling cells (P = .003). No unique cell cycle characteristics were
identified for patients who achieved remission versus those who had
resistant disease. However, the pretherapy cell cycle characteristics were
a strong prognosticator for remission duration. CR patients were divided
into those whose leukemic cell Tc were above median (A) and below median
(B). Among 14 B patients, median duration of response was 211 days, and all
relapsed by day 600. Among 18 A patients, the median has not as yet been
reached, with nine patients in continuous complete remission (log rank P =
.007, Wilcoxon P = .04). We conclude that cell cycle characteristics of
leukemic cells play a role in determining remission duration, perhaps
because the leukemic cells of the former patients regrow slowly between
courses of chemotherapy.
Volume 76,
Issue 11,
pp. 2191-2197,
12/01/1990
Copyright © 1990 by The American Society of Hematology
