Estimation of salivary amylase and total proteins in leukemia patients and its correlation with clinical feature and radiographic finding.

Background: Leukemia is a fatal disease. The oral manifestations of the leukemias occur early in the course of the disease and these oral features can at times act as a diagnostic indicator. Saliva has been used as a diagnostic aid in a number of systemic diseases. Materials and Methods: In our study, samples of unstimulated saliva of 30 leukemia patients who were not on chemotherapy were collected and analyzed for salivary amylase and total protein. The oral manifestations and radiographic changes (OPG) were recorded. The correlation between the oral manifestations and the salivary components (salivary amylase and total protein) was assessed for prognostic significance. Results: In the present study when the mean values of salivary amylase (1280±754 U/ml) and total protein (647.2±320.7 mg%) were compared with that in control subjects. There was a statistically significant difference for amylase levels (P<.05). On intraoral examination the study subjects showed pallor, gingivitis, gingival enlargement, petechiae, and ecchymosis. On the OPG, the radiographic features included generalized rarefaction of bone (20%), thinning of lamina dura (3.4%), generalized alveolar crest bone resorption (30%), thinning of walls of alveolar crypts (6.7%), besides others, e.g., periapical abscess (10%). Conclusions: The saliva of leukemic patients demonstrated obvious changes in composition. A rise in salivary amylase and total protein levels was evident, with the increase in amylase levels being statistically significant.

Adhesion molecule profiles of B-cell non-Hodgkin's lymphomas in the leukemic phase

We evaluated the expression of 10 adhesion molecules on peripheral blood tumor cells of 17 patients with chronic lymphocytic leukemia, 17 with mantle-cell lymphoma, and 13 with nodal or splenic marginal B-cell lymphoma, all in the leukemic phase and before the beginning of any therapy. The diagnosis of B-cell non-Hodgkin's lymphomas was based on cytological, histological, immunophenotypic, and molecular biology methods. The mean fluorescence intensity of the adhesion molecules in tumor cells was measured by flow cytometry of CD19-positive cells and differed amongst the types of lymphomas. Comparison of chronic lymphocytic leukemia and mantle-cell lymphoma showed that the former presented a higher expression of CD11c and CD49c, and a lower expression of CD11b and CD49d adhesion molecules. Comparison of chronic lymphocytic leukemia and marginal B-cell lymphoma showed that the former presented a higher expression of CD49c and a lower expression of CD11a, CD11b, CD18, CD49d, CD29, and CD54. Finally, comparison of mantle-cell lymphoma and marginal B-cell lymphoma showed that marginal B-cell lymphoma had a higher expression of CD11a, CD11c, CD18, CD29, and CD54. Thus, the CD49c/CD49d pair consistently demonstrated a distinct pattern of expression in chronic lymphocytic leukemia compared with mantle-cell lymphoma and marginal B-cell lymphoma, which could be helpful for the differential diagnosis. Moreover, the distinct profiles of adhesion molecules in these diseases may be responsible for their different capacities to invade the blood stream.

Fludarabine induces apoptosis in chronic lymphocytic leukemia - the role of P53, Bcl-2, Bax, Mcl-1, and Bag-1 proteins

The expression of P53, Bcl-2, Bax, Bag-1, and Mcl-1 proteins in CD5/CD20-positive B-chronic lymphocytic leukemia (B-CLL) cells from 30 typical CLL patients was evaluated before and after 48 h of incubation with 10-6 M fludarabine using multiparametric flow cytometric analysis. Protein expression was correlated with annexin V expression, Rai modified clinical staging, lymphocyte doubling time, and previous treatment. Our main goal was to determine the predictive value of these proteins in CLL cells in terms of disease evolution. Bcl-2 expression decreased from a median fluorescence index (MFI) of 331.71 ± 42.2 to 245.81 ± 52.2 (P < 0.001) after fludarabine treatment, but there was no difference between viable cells (331.57 ± 44.6 MFI) and apoptotic cells (331.71 ± 42.2 MFI) before incubation (P = 0.859). Bax expression was higher in viable cells (156.24 ± 32.2 MFI) than in apoptotic cells (133.56 ± 35.7 MFI) before incubation, probably reflecting defective apoptosis in CLL (P = 0.001). Mcl-1 expression was increased in fludarabine-resistant cells and seemed to be a remarkable protein for the inhibition of the apoptotic process in CLL (from 233.59 ± 29.8 to 252.04 ± 35.5; P = 0.033). After fludarabine treatment, Bag-1 expression was increased in fludarabine-resistant cells (from 425.55 ± 39.3 to 447.49 ± 34.5 MFI, P = 0.012), and interestingly, this higher expression occurred in patients who had a short lymphocyte doubling time (P = 0.022). Therefore, we could assume that Bag-1 expression in such situation might identify CLL patients who will need treatment earlier.

Linfoma del manto vs. leucemia linfatica crónica atipica: utilización de inmunohistoquímica, citometría de flujo y biología molecular para su correcta tipificación / Mantle cell lymphoma vs. atypical chronic lymphocytic leukemia: use of immunohistochemistry, flow cytometry and molecular biology for their adequate typing

The differential diagnosis of certain B CD5+ lymphoproliferative processes, such as mantle cell lymphoma (MCL) and atypical chronic lymphocytic leukemia (ACLL), is difficult. The aim of this study was to correlate morphological findings, cyclin D1 (cD1) detection by immunohistochemistry (IHC) and immunophenotype by flow cytometry (FC) with the results obtained by molecular biology in this type of neoplasias. We analyzed 20 samples classified as B CD5+ lymphoproliferative processes by FC. PCR was used for t(11;14) bcl-1/IgH determination. Histopathological and IHC studies for cD1 were done in 14 cases. Twelve cases were diagnosed as MCL, with positive cD1 in 5 (5/9), five as ACLL and three as B lymphoproliferative process. PCR revealed t(11;14) in 6/12 MCL and negative results in the other groups (0/8). Molecular biology evidenced translocation in 4/5 MCL positive for cD1 with IHC. The presence of translocation could be demonstrated by IHC and PCR in 7/12 MCL: 4 with both techniques, 2 with PCR alone, and 1 with IHC alone. These findings show a significant association between cD1 by IHC and bcl-1/ IgH gene detection by PCR, which implies that both techniques are complementary for MCL typing.

Algunos procesos linfoproliferativos B CD5+ son de difícil diagnóstico diferencial como es el casodel linfoma del manto (LM) y la leucemia linfocítica crónica atípica (LLCA). El motivo del presenteestudio fue correlacionar los hallazgos morfológicos, la detección de ciclina D1 (cD1) por inmunohistoquímica(IHQ) y el inmunofenotipo por citometría de flujo (CF) con los resultados obtenidos por biología molecular en este tipo de neoplasias. Se estudiaron 20 muestras clasificadas como procesos linfoproliferativos B CD5+ por CF. Se realizó la determinación de t(11;14) bcl-1/IgH por PCR. El estudio histopatológico e IHQ para cD1 se efectuó en 14 casos. Doce casos fueron diagnosticados como LM, con cD1 positiva en 5 (5/9); cinco como LLCA y tres como proceso linfoproliferativo B. Con PCR se observó t(11;14) en 6/12 LM y negatividad en losrestantes grupos (0/8). Se pudo demostrar la presencia de traslocación en 7/12 LM mediante IHQ Y PCR: 4con ambas técnicas, 2 con PCR exclusivamente y 1 con IHQ, evidenciando una alta asociación entre cD1 por IHQ y la detección del gen bcl-1/IgH por PCR, ambas técnicas complementarias en la tipificación de LM.