Effects of coumarins on haemopoietic tumor cell lines in vitro and bone marrow cells in vivo

The antiproliferative and cytotoxic effects of closely related coumarins, including esculetin, scopoletin and umbelliferone against human T, B lymphoid, myeloid, erythroid and mastocytoma cell lines, were studied in vitro. Esculetin was found to inhibit, dose- dependently, the proliferation of most cell lines. Myeloblastic leukemia, KG-1, was the most sensitive to the effect of esculetin. The Lc 50 was 24.7 micro M. Other cell lines were also susceptible to the effect of esculetin. CEM demonstrated an Lc 50 of 35.2 micro M, and EBV-transformed cell lines demonstrated an Lc 50 of 41.7 and 46.9 micro M. Some cell lines were quite resistant and include T-cell line Ke 37 and the erythroblastic leukemia K562. Interestingly, CTLL16, a crytotoxic normal T-cell line which is dependent on its growth on IL-2, did not show any appreciable cytotoxic effect to esculetin even when the cell had undergone 2 cycles of cell division. Mastocytoma showed in vitro stimulation by esculetin at low concentrations and by scopletin and umbelliferone at high concentrations, in vivo studies indicated that esculetin, scopoletin and umbelliferone were potent inhibitors of bone marrow mitosis. The results were discussed based on available data relating the effects of esculetin on leukotrienes and leukotrienes role in cell growth

Frequency distribution of ABO-blood groups in some hematological and non-hematological malignancies [research note]

ABO-blood groups represent good defined genetic markers. The association of such markers with diseases is increasingly reported. The aim of this study was to examine the distribution of ABO blood groups in some hematological and non-hematological malignancies. ABO-blood groups distribution in 807 hematological malignancies patients, including acute lymphoblastic leukemia [ALL] that included ALL-L1, ALL-L2, acute myeloid leukemia [AML], Hodgkin's, non-Hodgkin's, and Burkitt's lymphomas, was investigated. In addition, the distribution of ABO-blood groups in non-hematological malignancies patients, including 86 neuroblastoma and Wilm's tumor patients was also investigated. The results showed that although there was no abnormal frequency distribution among hematological malignancies, ALL-L1 and ALL-L2 split showed an abnormal frequency. The frequency in the ALL-L1 patients was 17.18% in the A-blood group patients, [the normal frequency is 29.95%], and 34.37% in the B-blood group patients [the normal frequency is 23.31%] [P = 0.04, at 95% confidence interval -0.006 - 0.227]. Whereas in the ALL-L2, the A-blood group patients frequency was 33.33% and the patient B-blood group frequency was 17.9%. On the other hand, Wilms tumor patients showed a normal frequency distribution, whereas, neuroblastoma patients gave a statistically highly significant frequency of 49.02% in B- blood group [P < 0.0002, 95% confidence interval 0.119, 0.394]. In addition, a statistically significant decrease in 0-blood group [23.53% vs 37.41% normal frequency [P = 0.04, 95% C.I = 0.255, -0.021] was observed. The results presented in this report suggest that B blood group subjects may be prone to neuroblastoma. The results are discussed based on a cause and effect relationship between blood groups determinants and their possible involvement as triggering molecules in immunologically - based oncogenesis