Effect of arsenic trioxide on cytokine expression by acute promyelocytic leukemia cells / 中华医学杂志(英文版)

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To detect the expression of cytokines by acute promyelocytic leukemia (APL) cells before and after exposure to arsenic trioxide.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>Diagnoses were performed according to the FAB cytological classification criteria and cytogenetic criteria. Bone marrow or blood samples from APL patients were collected in heparinized tubes, then primary APL cells were separated by traditional Ficoll-Hypaque density centrifugation and purified after adherence to plastic surfaces. IL-1(beta), IL-6, IL-8, TNF alpha and G-CSF levels in the leukemia cell culture supernatants were detected by ELISA. At the same time, nitro blue tetrazolium (NBT) reduction test was used to detect the differentiation of APL cells.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>After 96 hours exposure to arsenic trioxide, 10 - 6 mol/L in vitro or 10 mg/d in vivo, APL cells showed a significant increase of IL-1(beta) (P < 0.05) and G-CSF (P < 0.05) production, and a significant decrease of IL-6 (P < 0.05) and IL-8 (P < 0.05). However, there was no obvious variation of TNF alpha when compared with APL cells without exposure to arsenic trioxide. On the other hand, the proliferation ratio of APL cells in vitro was statistically correlated to the IL-1(beta) secretion ratio or G-CSF secretion ratio. The cell number ratio in patients with detectable IL-1(beta) or G-CSF was higher than that without detectable IL-1(beta) or G-CSF.</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>IL-1(beta) and G-CSF secretion may play an important role in the proliferation of APL cells after exposure to arsenic trioxide.</p>

Correlated factors of pneumonia in the hospital in patients with neoplasm after chemotherapy / 中国癌症杂志

Purpose：To study the incidence of pneumonia, pathogenic bacteria and prognosis in patients with neoplasm after chemotherapy.Methods：Sputum culture was made by routine method. Then,to determine the kinds of bacteria bioMrieux ATB expression was used, and general drug-sensitivity test was done by Kirby-Bautr method.Results：Fever occured in 27.3% patients after chemotherapy, while pneumonia in 11.3% patients. 13 kinds of bacteria, 72 strains of bacteria and 2 kinds of fungi were found in 68 positive culture samples. The infection rates were 76.5% in infection of single bacteoia，23.5% in infection of two kinds of bacteria and 22.1% in bacteria with fungi. The infection rate of gram-negative bacteria is much higher than that of gram-positive ones (P＜0.01).Conclusions：The incidence of pneumonia in the hospital is higher in patients with neoplasm after chemotherapy. Most pathogenic bacteria are gram-negative and sensitive to aminoglycosides, piperacillin and norfloxacin.