ABSTRACT
Objective For further improving the prognosis of childhood acute promyelocytic leukemia (APL) in China,the treatment efficacies, outcomes and costs of protocols for childhood APL between in developed countries and in our hospital were compared. Methods 30 cases aged ＜15 years were diagnosed according to the FAB classification and detection of PML-RARα rearrangement. From December 1999 to September 2004,sixteen eligible children were treated with an intensive in-house protocol including high-dose Ara-C and anthracycline for post remission treatment. From September 2004 to January 2008,14 cases enrolled were treated with a less intensive protocol modified from the PETHEMA LPA99. Results The 3.5 years EFS was 37.5 % (s-x=0.121) for total 16 patients on in-house protocol. Six patients (37.5 %) abandoned treatment,2 died of intracranial hemorrhage at diagnosis (6.3 %) and sepsis in remission (6.3 %),respectively,and 2 relapsed (12.5 %). The 14 cases treated with modified PETHEMA had a 3.5 years EFS of 79.6 % (s-x=0.136). One died of intracranial hemorrhage at diagnosis (7.1 %) and 1 relapsed (7.1 %). Patients on modified PETHEMA had a significantly higher EFS (P=0.012),lower frequency of sepsis during treatment (7.7 % vs 77.8 %; P=0.0015) and lower hospitalization cost (median,RMB 35 200 vs 150 000; P ＜0.0001) than those on in-house protocol. Conclusion Treatment with the less intensive protocol based on the PETHEMA LPA99 study for childhood APL successively reduced complication of chemotherapy and reduced hospitalization cost without increasing relapses, which led to decreases in treatment-related toxicity and treatment abandonment rate,thus improving overall outcome.
ABSTRACT
Objective To review the diagnosis of idiopathic pulmonary hemosiderosis ( IPH),and to evaluate the efficacy of maintenance therapy with dose-adjusted 6-mercaptopurine (6MP) in IPH children. Methods The diagnosis of IPH was confirmed by in-patient examination and at least 1 year follow-up to exclude secondary causes of pulmonary hemorrhage. Fifteen children met the criteria of IPH and were enrolled. The age at diagnosis was 2-13 years ( median 7 years). Prednisone was administered at 2 mg/( kg·d) for 4 weeks in acute phase of the disease followed by taper. 6MP was also started at 60 mg/( m2·d) simultaneously and continued for 3 years. Results The diagnosis was delayed in most children, which was due to the lack of initial classical manifestation of the disease. The time between the onset of symptoms and diagnosis ranged from 2 weeks to 108 months ( median 8 months) . All the patients exhibited response to the initial treatment and prednisone was successfully tapered off. Only 1 of 8 patients with relative leucopenia (3 × 109/L -6 × 109/L) on 6MP maintenance recurred while 5 of 7 others recurred (P < 0. 05) during median 6-year (range 2. 5 - 9. 5 years) follow-up. Of the latter 5 patients who recurred,4 remained recurrence-free after adjusting the dose of 6MP upwards to keep relative leucopenia. Conclusions Diagnostic delayed is still a main problem in pediatric IPH. Most IPH children in our group tolerated maintenance treatment with 6MP and achieved long-term remission, and these suggested growth retardation on long-term steroids therapy could be avoided. Because of interindividual difference in 6MP metabolism, adjusting the dose of 6MP may be necessary for treatment of IPH children and avoid under-treatment or overtreatment in some children,and thus improve the prognosis. White blood count could be a simple and useful indicator to predict clinical response in most IPH children on 6MP.
ABSTRACT
Objective To explore whether ultrasound-mediated microbubbles destruction could enhance anti-sense RNA transfection and expression. Methods Phospholamban antisense RNA eukaryon vector PcDNA 4. 1-asPLB was successfully constructed and it was transfected into cardiac myocytes by various methods including calcium phosphate precipitation, ultrasound exposure and ultrasound-mediated microbubbles destruction. The expression of PLB and sarcoplasmic retculum Ca2+ ATPase (SERCA2a) in cardiac myocytes was tested by RT-PCR and western blot. Results The transfection and expression of PcDNA 4. 1-asPLB increased significantly in cells treated with ultrasound-mediated microbubbles destruction compared to other transfer groups( P ＜0.05). The expression of PLB was inhibited specifically after cardiac myocytes were transfected with PcDNA 4. 1-asPLB. There was no change of PLB expression after cardiac myocytes transfected with PcDNA 4. 1 ( P ＜0.05). Though the expression of SERCA2a never exhibited any changes after PcDNA 4. 1-asPLB transfection, the PLB/SERCA2a ratio decreased markedly. Conclusions As a highly effective antisense RNA transfer method, ultrasound-mediated microbubbles destruction can enhance the transfection and expression of the PcDNA 4. 1-asPLB significantly. The PcDNA4. 1-asPLB transfection inhibits the expression of PLB and result in decrease of PLB/SERCA2a ratio in cardiac myocytes.
