Main description:

The 6th volume of the book series Acute Leukemias presents both therapeutic and prognostic updates of the most recent results of major multicenter clinical trials. Additional chapters report on new trends in leucemia cell biology, the monitoring of minimal residual disease and secondary leucemias as well as new antileucemic drugs, antimicrobial strategies and the use of cytocines. Acute Leukemias VI provides a new update on the rapid progress being made internationally concerning leucemic diseases.

Contents:

Leukemia Cell Biology: Cytogenetics.- Chromosome Translocations Play a Key Role in Leukemogenesis with an Introduction by F. Lampert.- Fifty-nine Cases of Acute Myeloid Leukemia with Inversion inv(16)(pl3q22): Do Additional Chromosomal Aberrations Influence Prognosis?.- Chromosome Abnormalities and Karyotype Evolution in the Stem Cell Compartments of AML and MDS.- Karyotypic Abnormalities in Secondary Leukemia of Children.- Deletion of Chromosome 6p as Primary Karyotypic Anomaly in Secondary Acute Nonlymphocytic Leukemia.- Molecular Cytogenetic Analysis of 7q Abnormalities in Acute Leukemia.- Unusual Karyotype 46, XX, inv(8)(p21q24), del(20)(q11q13) in a Case of Acute Leukemia M6 in a Child.- Acute Myeloblastic Leukemia M2 with the 8;12 Translocation Associated with Granulocytic Sarcoma.- Cytogenetic Subgroups in Childhood Acute Myeloblastic Leukemia at the Schneider Children's Medical Center of Israel.- FISH Analysis in Acute Leukemia with Initially Abnormal Karyotypes and Normal Karyotypes in Relapse.- Cytogenetic Findings of Acute Leukemias in the Ukraine.- Detection of Minimal Tumor Cell Populations by FICTION.- Leukemia Cell Biology: Molecular Biology.- A Cloning Strategy to Identify Genes that Functionally Interact with Bcr-Abl for Transformation.- Biology and Detection of t(4;11) Leukemias.- Homozygous Deletion of the p16 Gene in Childhood Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia.- CDKN2 Deletions in Leukemia-Derived Cell Lines: Detection by Fluorescence In Situ Hybridization with Interphase Cells.- Diversity of the TcR-d Gene Rearrangements Indicates Subclone Formation in Acute B Cell Precursor Leukemias.- Molecular Genetic Detection of Chromosomal Abnormalities at 11q23 in Patients with De Novo and Secondary Acute Leukemia.- Sequence Analysis of the GAP-Related Domain of the NF1-Gene and All Three RAS Protooncogenes in Patients with Secondary Acute Leukemia.- Molecular Genetic Screening of Children with Acute Leukemia by RT-PCR.- Detection of the Wilms Tumor Gene (wt-1) mRNA in Complete Remission of AML Frequently Precedes Relapse.- CBF?MYH11 Rearrangement in M4Eo with Inversion 16: A Novel Marker for Diagnosis of Minimal Residual Disease by RT-PCR.- Detection of Minimal Residual Disease on Bone Marrow Smears by Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction.- Evaluation of Chimerism After Allogeneic Bone Marrow Transplantation Using Amplification of Hypervariable Regions of Human Genome by Polymerase Chain Reaction.- Leukemia Cell Biology: Cytokines.- Truncated Granulocyte-Colony Stimulating Factor Receptors in Severe Congenital Neutropenia Terminating in Acute Myeloid Leukemia.- BCR/ABL and Signal Transduction Pathways.- Interleukins (IL-1, IL-2, IL-4, IL-6) and TNF Production in Children with Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia.- Insulin-Like Growth Factors and Their Specific Binding Proteins in Leukemia (ALL) and Non-Hodgkin Lymphoma.- IFN-? is an Inhibitory Cytokine of Leukemic B-Cell Precursors.- Cytokine Serum Levels During the Course of Acute Myeloid Leukemia.- Expression of FLT3 and FLT3 Ligand in Human Leukemia-Lymphoma Cell Lines.- GM-CSF Dose Response Curves in Priming of AML Progenitors for Ara-C.- Different Potential of G-CSF, GM-CSF, and pIXY in Priming of Myeloid Leukemic Progenitors for Ara-C.- Leukemia Cell Biology.- An Alternative Transcript of the Human GM-CSF Receptor Alpha Chain Lacking the Signal Sequence is Found in AML Blasts and Normal Controls.- Marked Effect of the Combination of a Novel Vitamin D3 Analog, KH 1060, and 9-cis-RA on Inhibition of Clonal Growth, Decrease of bcl-2 Level and Induction of Apoptosis in HL-60 Cells.- Adoptive Transfer of NK Cells Can Eradicate Residual Leukemia After BMT.- Characterization of Normal and Leukemic Lymphohematopoietic Precursor Cells by Three-Color Flow Cytometry and Detection of Clone-Specific Leukemia-Associated T-Cell Receptor ? Rearrangements.- Monitoring Leukemic Cells During the Course of Acute Leukemia by Immunphenotyping and Genotyping.- Flowcytometric Detection of Aneuploidies in Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia (ALL) Before and After Chemotherapy.- Comparison of Growth Patterns of Acute Myeloid Leukemia Cells In Vitro and In Vivo by Flow Cytometry.- The Influence of Short Term Liquid Culture of Leukemic Blasts on Their Phenotype.- Correlation of Deoxycytidine Deaminase, Thymidine Kinase and Polymerase Alpha Activity and Deoxycytidine Deaminase Gene Expression In Vivo with Clinical Response to TAD-9+GM-CSF Induction Therapy in Acute Myeloid Leukemia.- CD7+CD4-CD8-Blast Cells in Acute Leukemia.- Lymphoid Antigen Expression in Acute Myeloid Leukemia.- CD54 Expression and Its Role in Homotypic Aggregation of the Blasts of Acute Myeloblastic (AML) and Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia (ALL).- Adhesion Molecule Receptor Profile in Acute Leukemia.- Expression of Adhesion Molecules on Blood Derived CD34 Positive Cells Immediately After Thawing and After Ex Vivo Incubation with Cytokines.- Cytomorphology and Clinical Outcome in 80 Patients with AML M4Eo and Inversion 16.- Prognostic Relevance of Proteolytically Inactivated Alpha1-Antitrypsin Excreted in the Urine of Patients with Acute Myeloid Leukemia.- Studies on Plasma Coagulation in Children with ALL Undergoing Therapy Using the COALL-05-92 Protocol.- Residual Leukemia.- Methods for Detection of Minimal Residual Disease.- Molecular Biological Detection of Minimal Residual Disease in Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia.- Immunophenotypic Detection of Minimal Residual Disease in Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia.- Molecular Biological Detection of Minimal Residual Disease in Acute Myeloid Leukemia.- Detection on Minimal Residual Disease in Cytogenetically Defined Prognostic Subgroups of AML.- New Strategies: Nucleoside Analogs.- Current Approaches in the Treatment of Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia.- Fludarabine for the Treatment of Advanced Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia: Results of a Prospective Randomized Comparison with Cyclophosphamide, Doxorubicin, and Prednisone.- Potential Immunological Action of Purine Nucleoside Analogs.- Fludarabine and Fludarabine, Mitoxantrone, Dexamethasone in the Management of Low-Grade Non-Hodgkin Lymphomas.- Fludarabine in Low-Grade Lymphoma: St. Bartholomew's Hospital Experience.- Future Role of Purine Analogues in Oncology.- New Strategies: Idarubicin.- Intracellular Effects of Anthracyclines: Distribution, DNA-Binding and Genotoxicity.- Specific Role of Idarubicin During Induction Therapy of Childhood Acute Myeloblastic Leukemia.- Overview of Current Treatment for Acute Myeloid Leukemia.- Chemotherapy for Acute Myeloid Leukemia: the State of the Art and the Contribution of Idarubicin.- Phase II Trial of Idarubicin, Fludarabine, Cytosdine Arabinoside and Filgrastim (G-CSF) for Treatment of Refractory, Relapsed, and Secondary Acute Myeloid Leukemia.- New Strategies Using Growth Factors: G-CSF.- Mechanisms of Regulated Drug Sensitivity.- Current Status of Granulocyte Colony-Stimulating Factor and Granulocyte-Macrophage Colony-Stimulating Factor in the Management of Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia.- Peripheral Blood Stem Cell Transplantation in Acute Myeloid Leukemia.- New Strategies Using Growth Factors: GM-CSF, PIXY 321.- Growth Factors in AML: Updates.- Granulocyte-Macrophage Colony-Stimulating Factor-Based Priming Concepts in Acute Myeloid Leukemia.- Cancer and Leukemia Group B Studies with Hematopoietic Growth Factors in Patients with Acute Myeloid Leukemia.- Preclinical Evaluation of Granulocyte-Macrophage Colony-Stimulating Factor/Interleukin 3 Fusion Protein (PIXY 321) in Acute Myeloid Leukemic Cells.- Initial Trial of PIXY 321 Following Autologous Bone Marrow Transplantation.- New Strategies: Antifungal Treatment.- Fluconazole Prophylaxis of Invasive Fungal Infections During Intensive Chemotherapy for Relapsed Acute Myeloid Leukemia: Interim Analysis of a Randomized Multicenter Trial.- Current Approaches in the Prevention of Invasive Aspergillosis.- Early Empiric Antifungal Treatment of Infections in Neutropenic Patients Comparing Fluconazole with Amphotericin B/5-Flucytosine.- Pharmacology.- Dependence of Asparaginase-Induced Coagulopathy on Serum Asparaginase Activity: A Randomized Trial.- Significant Differences in the Pharmacokinetics of two l-Asparaginase Preparations from Escherichia coli.- Pharmacokinetic/Pharmacodynamic Monitoring of l-Asparaginase in Children.- Asparaginase Activities In Vitro Are Highly Sensitive to Different Buffer Conditions.- Influence of l-Asparaginase Escherichia coli and Erwinia on Antithrombin III and Coagulation Factors During Induction Therapy of Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia in Children.- Infusion Rate Does Not Influence Ifosfamide Side-Chain Metabolism.- Busulfan Pharmacology in Bone Marrow Transplantation Patients.- Topoisomerase II Activities in Human Leukemic Cells and Their Sensitivity to Anthracyclines and Podophyllotoxines.- Quantitative Cytosine Arabinoside Metabolism in HL60 and Raji Cells Using a Novel High Performance Liquid Chromatography Assay for Detection and Quantitation of 3H-Cytosine Arabinoside and Its Metabolites.- Role of Deoxycytidine Triphosphate for Feedback Regulation of Deoxycytidine Kinase and Phosphorylation of Cytosine Arabinoside in Whole Leukemic Cells.- Drug Resistance Profile: Strongest Independent Prognostic Factor in Childhood Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia in a BFM-Oriented Treatment Protocol.- In Vitro Drug Sensitivity of Acute Myeloid Leukemic Cells Using the Methyl-Thiazol-Tetrazolium Assay.- Does P-Glycoprotein Predict Response to Chemotherapy? Expression of P-Glycoprotein in Children's and Adults' Leukemia -Correlation with Clinical Outcome.- Clinical Relevance of P-Glycoprotein-Related Resistance in Patients with Acute Leukemia.- Lack of Correlation Between Multi-Drug Resistance Expression and Clinical Response to Chemotherapy in Patients with Acute Myeloid Leukemia.- Coexpression of mdr-1 and myc Genes in Relation to Prognosis in Acute Leukemia Patients.- ALL in Children.- Risk Adapted Treatment in Childhood Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia: Data from the Berlin-Frankfurt-Munster Group.- Mechanisms of Treatment Failure in Childhood Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia: Children's Cancer Group Initiatives.- Risk-Adapted Treatment for Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia: Findings from St. Jude Children's Research Hospital.- Risk-Adapted Therapy for Acute Lymphocytic Leukemia: The Pediatric Oncology Group Experience.- Treatment Results in Childhood B Non-Hodgkin Lymphoma with a Modified BFM Protocol in St. Petersburg.- Similar Outcome in Boys with Isolated and Combined Testicular Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia Relapse After Stratified BFM Salvage Therapy.- Acute Cholecystitis Complicating Intensive Chemotherapy of Chilhood Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia.- Prognostic Significance of Peanut Agglutinin Binding in Childhood T-Cell Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia.- Longitudinal Study of Cognitive, Motor, and Behavioral Functioning in Children Diagnosed with Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia: A Report of Early Findings from the Childrens Cancer Group.- ALL in Adults.- Treatment of Biologically Determined Subsets of Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia in Adults: Cancer and Leukemia Group B Studies.- Treatment of Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia in the Elderly: Results of the GIMEMA 0288 > 60 Years Trial.- Allogeneic and Autologous Bone Marrow Transplantation and Chemotherapy in First Remission of Adult Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia: Results of the LALA 87 Trial of the French Group.- Bone Marrow Transplantation Versus Chemotherapy in Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia. Joint Trial of the Medical Research Council (UKALL-12) with the United States Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group E2993.- Bone Marrow Transplantation for Philadelphia Chromosome-Positive Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia.- AML in Children.- Childrens Cancer Group Studies in Acute Myeloid Leukemia, 1979-1995: Three Strategies That Have Worked.- Intensified Early Therapy for Childhood Acute Myeloid Leukemia: Pilot Studies of the AIEOP Cooperative Group.- A Randomized Comparative Study of Purged Autologous Bone Marrow Transplantation Versus Intensive Multiagent Consolidation Chemotherapy in First Remission of Acute Myeloid Leukemia in Children (Pediatric Oncology Group Study-POG 8821).- Prognostic Factors and Treatment in Pediatric Acute Myeloblastic Leukemia: French Trials.- Childhood Acute Nonlymphoblastic Leukemia - Results of the Austrian-Hungarian Acute Myeloid Leukemia Studies IGCI-84 and 90.- Results of Intensive Chemotherapy of Acute Myeloid Leukemia in Children According to the Berlin-Frankfurt-Munster Strategy: A Single Institution Trial.- Down's Syndrome and Megakaryoblastic Leukemia.- AML in Adults.- Therapeutic and Prognostic Factors in the Management of Acute Myeloid Leukemia.- Prognostic Factor Analyses in Acute Myeloid Leukemia: M.D. Anderson Experience.- Intensified Therapy of Acute Myeloid Leukemia: Results of the German AML Cooperative Group.- Intensified Induction Therapy in Acute Myeloid Leukemia.- Results of All-Trans Retinoic Acid Treatment in Acute Promyelocytic Leukemia (European Experience).- Intensified Post-Remission Chemotherapy for Adults with Acute Myeloid Leukemia: An Update of CALGB 8525.- Postremission Therapy: The Role of Allogeneic Bone Marrow Transplantation in Acute Myelogenous Leukemia: An Analysis of the AML8A EORTC-GIMEMA Protocol.- Impact of Marrow Transplantation in Acute Myeloid Leukemia in First Complete Remission: Experience from MRC AML-10 Trial.- Bone Marrow Transplantation for Acute Myelogenous Leukemia.- Autologous Bone Marrow Transplantation Versus Chemotherapy in Acute Myeloblastic Leukemia Patients. Argentinean Study Results.- Granulocyte-Macrophage Colony-Stimulating Factor in the Therapy of Adults with De Novo Acute Myeloblastic Leukemia: An Update of a Double-Blind Randomized, Placebo-Controlled Trial.- Longterm Follow Up of a Prospective Multicenter Trial with a High-Dose Cytosine Arabinoside and Daunorubicin Postremission Therapy in Adults with De Novo Acute Myeloid Leukemia.- Idarubicin, Cytorabine, Etoposide Versus Risk-Adjusted Daunorubicin Plus Cytosine Arabinoside for Induction Treatment of Acute Myeloid Leukemia: A Randomized Multicenter Trial.- "7+3" Versus "7+3+VP-16" as Remission Induction in Acute Myeloid Leukemia Patients Under the Age of Sixty Years: Preliminary Results of a Russian Multicenter Trial.- Poor Risk Acute Myelogenous Leukemia Patients Undergoing the Fludarabine-Cytosine Arabinoside-Filgrastim Regimen: Multidrug Resistance Expression, Granulocyte Colony-Stimulating Factor Priming Activity and Clinical Response.- Granulocyte-Macrophage Colony-Stimulating Factor During and After Remission Induction Treatment for Elderly Patients with Acute Myeloid Leukemia.- Prospective Comparison of Allogeneic Bone Marrow Transplantation, Intensive Consolidation Chemotherapy, and Unpurged Autologous Bone Marrow Transplantation as Post-Remission Therapy in Adult Acute Myeloid Leukemia.- Late Relapses in Adult Acute Myelogenous Leukemia: A Retrospective Study of Characteristics and Outcome in 76 Cases.- Methods to Detect Prognostic Factors in Acute Myeloid Leukemia.- Idarubicin or Mitoxantrone, VP-16, and Cytarabine for Induction/Consolidation Therapy Followed by Autologous Stem Cell Transplantation in Elderly Patients with Acute Myeloid Leukemia: A Feasibility Study.- High-Dose Chemotherapy with Busulfan, Cyclophosphamide and VP 16 as Conditioning for Allogeneic and Autologous Bone Marrow Transplantation for Patients with Acute Myeloid Leukemia.- YNK01, an Oral Cytosine Arabinoside Derivative in Acute Myeloid Leukemia and Chronic Myeloid Leukemia.- Secondary Leukemia, Myelodysplastic Syndrome.- Genetic Instability and Evolution of Karyotype in Secondary Acute Myeloid Leukemia.- Prognostic Value of Dysmyelopoiesis in 128 Patients with De Novo Acute Myeloid Leukemia.- Incidence of Secondary Leukemias After Therapy of Childhood Hodgkin's Disease Without Nitrogen-Mustard. Results of the German-Austrian Study Group.- Intensive Therapy of Myelodysplastic Syndromes and Secondary Leukemias: Preliminary Findings of the French Experience.- Preliminary Results of a Placebo-Controlled, Double-Blind Trial Evaluating Sequential HD-AraC/Mitoxantrone Induction Chemotherapy with or Without Granulocyte-Macrophage Colony-Stimulating Factor in Patients with High-Risk Myelodysplastic Syndromes.- Childhood Myelodysplastic Syndromes Treated with Acute Myeloid Leukemia Regimens.- Remission Rates, Survival and Prognostic Factors in Ninety Patients with Advanced Myelodysplastic Syndromes Treated with Intensive Chemotherapy.- Secondary Myelodysplastic Syndromes: Morphological Findings, Cytogenetics, and Clinical Course in 55 Patients.- Myelodysplastic Syndromes or Leukemia Following MDS Treated with Allogeneic Bone Marrow Transplantation: A Survey of the Working Party on Chronic Leukemia of the European Cooperative Group for Blood and Marrow Transplantation.- Cyclosporin A in the Treatment of Myelodysplastic Syndrome.- Supportive Care.- Mediators in Sepsis and Septic Shock.- Interventional Antimicrobial Strategy in Neutropenic Infections.- Acyclovir and Cytomegalovirus Immunoglobulins as Prophylaxis for Cytomegalovirus Infections in Allogeneic Bone Marrow Transplant Recipients.- Challenge of Alloimmunization and Refractoriness to Platelet Transfusion.- Polymerase Chain Reaction for Detection of Various Aspergillus Species in Clinical Samples.- Screening with Sensitive Detection Methods Allows a Reduction in the Incidence of Cytomegalovirus Disease After Allogeneic Bone Marrow Transplantation.- Therapy of Sepsis Syndrome with Human Polyclonal IgM-Enriched Immunoglobulins: Interim Analysis of a Randomized Trial in Neutropenic Cancer Patients.- The 10/NL Trigger for Prophylactic Platelet Transfusion in Acute Myeloid Leukemia: A Prospective Comparative Multicenter Study.- Transplantation of Allogeneic Peripheral Blood Progenitor Cells Alone or in Addition to Bone Marrow.- Quality of Life in Patients with Acute Myeloid Leukemia -A Longitudinal Study.