Importance of phenotypic and molecular characterization for identification of a neuroepithelioma tumor cell line, NUB-20.

A neuroblastic-like cell line (NUB-20) was derived from a case of histopathologically diagnosed metastatic neuroblastoma. The metastatic tumor and nude mouse heterotransplant resembled neuroblastoma by histological criteria, in contrast to the primary tumor, which was differentially classified as Ewing's sarcoma. However, the cell line demonstrated a unique phenotype in culture with respect to morphology, immunohistochemical markers, and sensitivity to a battery of differentiation modulators. These characteristics, together with the presence of a chromosomal translocation (11;22),(q24;q12) and amplification with enhanced expression of the c-myc protooncogene rather than N-myc, established this tumor as neuroepithelioma. Neuroepithelioma is a tumor type distinct from, but related to, neuroblastoma in its development from the neural crest lineage. These results emphasize the growing importance of cytogenetic and molecular markers in the classification and characterization of human tumors.

Protection of human myeloid leukemic cells against doxorubicin-induced apoptosis by granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor and interleukin 3.

Hematopoietic cells require certain cytokines to maintain viability by preventing apoptotic cell death. These cytokines can also protect leukemic cell lines against induction of apoptosis by cytotoxic anticancer compounds. We now show that the cytokines granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor and interleukin 3 can protect primary human myeloid leukemic cells against doxorubicin-induced apoptosis. Protection was detected in cells from 72% of the myeloid leukemic patients tested. The results indicate that these, and perhaps other, hematopoietic cytokines can decrease the effectiveness of cytotoxic anticancer therapy in some human myeloid leukemias. Leukemic cell sensitization to cytotoxic therapy may, therefore, require decreasing the availability of certain cytokines.

Effect of deferoxamine on DNA synthesis, DNA repair, cell proliferation, and differentiation of HL-60 cells.

The ribonucleotide reductase inhibitors deferoxamine and hydroxyurea induce monocyte-macrophage cell differentiation in the leukemic cell line HL-60 as judged by the expression of cell surface antigens, nonspecific esterase activity, and morphological changes. Treatment of HL-60 cells with deferoxamine results in inhibition of DNA synthesis and irreversible loss of colony-forming ability. In addition, both deferoxamine and hydroxyurea caused an increase in the number of DNA strand breaks in HL-60 cells. A DNA methylating agent, N-methyl-N'-nitro-N-nitrosoguanidine, also caused cellular differentiation in HL-60 cells associated with DNA strand breaks. These observations are consistent with a role for DNA damage or for inhibition of DNA synthesis and repair in the differentiation process of HL-60 cells.

Chimerism testing and detection of minimal residual disease after allogeneic hematopoietic transplantation using the bioView (Duet) combined morphological and cytogenetical analysis.

Recurrent disease remains a major obstacle to cure after allogeneic transplantation. Various methods have been developed to detect minimal residual disease (MRD) after transplantation to identify patients at risk for relapse. Chimerism tests differentiate recipient and donor cells and are used to identify MRD when there are no other disease-specific markers. The detection of MRD does not always correlate with relapse risk. Chimerism testing may also identify normal hematopoietic cells or other cells not contributing to relapse. In this study we report our initial experience with a novel system that provides combined morphological and cytogenetical analysis on the same cells. This system allows rapid automatic scanning of a large number of cells, thus increasing the sensitivity of detection of small recipient population. The clinical significance of MRD detection is improved by identifying the morphology of recipient cells. Identification of recipient characteristics within blasts predicts overt relapse in leukemia patients and precedes it by a few weeks to months. Identification within mature hematopoietic cells may not be closely associated with relapse. The system also allows chimerism testing after sex-mismatched transplants, within cellular subsets, with no need for sorting of cells. The system merits further study in larger scale trials.

Amplification of immunological functions by subcutaneous injection of intermediate-high dose interleukin-2 for 2 years after autologous stem cell transplantation in children with stage IV neuroblastoma.

BACKGROUND: Immunotherapy given post-autologous stem cell transplantation may eliminate residual tumor cells escaping the conditioning protocol. METHODS: Five children suffering from stage IV neuroblastoma were treated by recombinant interleukin-2 (IL-2) post-autologous peripheral blood stem cell transplantation. The patients' peripheral mononuclear cells were monitored for CD3+ and CD56+ levels, their proliferative response and killing of various cell lines targets. RESULTS: An increase in the level of total lymphocytes, mainly due to expansion of T cells, and enhanced proliferative response to phytohemaglutinin were observed. Elevated cytotoxicity against K562 and neuroblastoma target cells was detected in four patients and against K562 targets in one patient. Toxicity included mild thrombocytopenia, and fever in four patients and mild to moderate encephalopathy which necessitated withdrawing one patient from the protocol. Three of five patients studied are alive today, one of them whose IL-2 was stopped, is in relapse. Two patients have died. CONCLUSIONS: Immunotherapy with s.c. intermediate-high dose IL-2 is feasible and results in expansion of T cells and in stimulation of killing activity against several targets including in some cases, neuroblastoma tumor cells.

Familial cholestatic cirrhosis associated with Kayser-Fleischer rings.

A brother and sister who suffered from pruritus since infancy developed hepatic cirrhosis early in life. Although this clinical picture has never been seen in Wilson's disease, Kayser-Fleischer rings in the boy made further studies necessary. Oral radiocopper loading tests administered to both children and to their parents served to exclude Wilson's disease conclusively. Determinations of the concentrations and patterns of bile acids in the serum indicated that the abnormalities observed in these children are not related to errors in bile acid synthesis. Although a defect in bile acid transport is present, it appears to have occurred as a consequence of the liver disease.

Multilineage hematopoietic engraftment after allogeneic peripheral blood stem cell transplantation without conditioning in SCID patients.

Successful stem cell transplantation for patients with severe combined immunodeficiency (SCID) from matched family donors without conditioning results in engraftment of T lymphocytes. B lymphocytes engraft in only 50% of the cases, while myelopoiesis and erythropoiesis remain of host origin. Full hematopoietic engraftment was reported in one case after bone marrow transplantation without conditioning for a SCID patient. We studied three SCID patients who were transplanted with unmodified mobilized peripheral blood from HLA-identical family sex-mismatched members. They received megadoses of stem cells (18-23 x 10(6)CD34/kg). In contrast to the expected mixed chimerism that usually occurs in the absence of conditioning, we found in our patients 100% donor cell engraftment based on fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) and microsatellite techniques. Subset analysis of the engrafted cells using a multiparametric system enabling a combined analysis of morphology, immunophenotyping and FISH showed that both T and B lymphocytes and myeloid cells were of donor origin in two patients, while T lymphocytes and myeloid cells were of donor origin in the third. In the two cases with ABO incompatibility, erythroid engraftment was evidenced by blood group conversion from recipient to donor type. Multilineage donor engraftment is possible in SCID patients even without conditioning.

Tetraploid myeloid cells in donors of peripheral blood stem cells treated with rhG-CSF.

Recombinant human granulocyte colony-stimulating factor (rhG-CSF) is frequently used to mobilize CD34+ cells in healthy donors and patient with malignant diseases prior to peripheral blood stem cell (PBSC) harvest. To analyze the effects of rhG-CSF on morphology and genotype of white blood cells, a novel multiparametric cell scanning system that combines morphologic, immune and genotypic analyses of the same cells was used. We report here that tetraploid myeloid cells are present in the peripheral blood of donors treated with rhG-CSF. The tetraploidy was detected in up to 0.6% of differentiated myeloid cells and all observed CD34+ cells were diploid. Thus, short treatment with rhG-CSF of PBSC donors induces numerfical chromosomal alterations in a small subset of mature myeloid cells.

Successful human umbilical cord blood stem cell transplantation without conditioning in severe combined immune deficiency.

A 2-month-old girl with severe combined immunodeficiency (SCID), presented with mild staphylococcal skin infection, lymphopenia, low T cell number, absence of B cells, high number of NK cells, and a negligible response to mitogens. Since her older brother died as a result of SCID 2 years earlier, cord blood was harvested from a sister born 2 1/2 years earlier, who was normal and fully matched both by serology and molecular typing. In view of her clinical condition and in spite of a high number of NK cells with normal activity, HUCBT without preparative conditioning was performed. No G-CSF was administered. Engraftment with mixed chimerism was evident 3 weeks post transplantation. There were no peritransplantation complications. Eighteen months post transplantation, the girl is in excellent condition, blood counts are normal, T cell engraftment is complete, B cell engraftment is proceeding gradually, and the mitogen stimulation tests are normal. Due to the unique nature of HUCB hematopoietic cells, engraftment without conditioning may be possible in patients with SCID with fully matched donors. This is the first HUCBT performed without conditioning.

Involvement of 11p15 and 3q21q26 in therapy-related myeloid leukemia (t-ML) in children. Case reports and review of the literature.

The cytogenetic findings of therapy-related myeloid leukemia (t-ML) in three children are presented. These included one male patient with acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) who underwent bone marrow transplantation and developed therapy-related myeloproliferative disease (t-MPD) in the female-donor hematopoietic cells 2.5 years after receiving radiation and epipodophyllotoxin therapy for ALL testicular relapse. Bone marrow leukemic cell karyotype revealed 46,XX,add (11)(p15) and a normal female karyotype in the peripheral blood lymphocytes. The other two children, one with ALL and one with ganglioneuroblastoma, developed fatal t-MPD and therapy-related acute myeloblastic leukemia (t-AML) preceded by myelodysplastic syndrome (t-MDS), respectively, 5 years after diagnosis, following administration of alkylating agents and irradiation. Monosomy 7 was present in both, and was combined with inv(3)(q21q26) in the second patient. Our review of the cytogenetic findings in 91 previously reported pediatric patients with t-ML suggested that the involvement of 11p15 and 3q21-->23, 3q24-q26 with or without a combination of translocation 11q23 and -7/7q-, respectively, are nonrandom aberrations of t-ML in children. Comparison of the chromosomal changes in t-ML between the pediatric and an adult series revealed some differences which may result from differences in treatment modalities and which, in addition, may indicate a possible role of genetic and/or age-dependent factors in the pathogenesis of therapy-related leukemogenesis in children.

Selective protection of tubercidin toxicity by nitrobenzyl thioinosine in normal tissues but not in human neuroblastoma cells.

Tubercidin, an adenosine analogue, is toxic to human neuroblastoma cell lines, to peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs), and to myeloid colony-forming cells (CFU-C) as tested by a short-term labeled precursor uptake and by a clonogenic assay. When it was co-administered with a potent purine transport inhibitor, nitrobenzyl thioinosine (NBTI), the cytotoxic effect of tubercidin was abolished in PBMCs but not in neuroblastoma cells. Studies of nucleoside transport in neuroblastoma cells demonstrate that although [3H]NBTI binds to the plasma membrane of these cells, the transport of thymidine into the cells is only partially inhibited in the presence of excess NBTI. These data imply that neuroblastoma cells contain a nucleoside transport mechanism which is insensitive to NBTI. "Host protection" with a nucleoside transport inhibitor such as NBTI, may allow effective therapy with otherwise toxic dosages of tubercidin and other cytotoxic nucleosides in patients with neuroblastoma.

Childhood B-cell non-Hodgkin's lymphoma in Israel.

The non-Hodgkin's lymphomas of childhood and adolescence are a heterogeneous group of diseases that constitute 7-10 percent of all pediatric malignancies. Major strides have been made in recent years in understanding the pathogenesis of lymphomas at a molecular level but have not yet led to a modification of clinical management. Between 1973 and 1992, 112 children with B-cell non-Hodgkin's lymphoma were diagnosed. The median age was 5.7 years, with male to female ratio of 3 to 1. Fifty percent presented with abdominal masses, mostly confined to the ileo-ceccal region and to the retroperitoneum. In 39 percent there was head and neck involvement, with 15 percent jaw lesions. Until 1978 patients were treated with the Beilinson Medical Center (BMC) protocol, which yielded only 26 percent disease-free survival for stage IV patients. The introduction of the LMB-86 regimen significantly improved the disease-free survival of patients with advanced stage III and IV disease (84 and 68 percent, respectively). Bone marrow (over 70 percent blasts) and central nervous system involvement remain the major prognostic criteria.

Life-threatening ventricular tachycardia as the presenting symptom of metastatic cardiac disease.

We present 2 cases in whom repetitive rapid ventricular tachycardia (VT) was the initial manifestation of metastatic cardiac disease. In one patient, repetitive VT appeared during chemotherapy for stage IV paratesticular rhabdomyosarcoma which led to the diagnosis of cardiac metastases. In the other, it led to the diagnosis of malignant pericardial effusion 17 years after successful therapy for a breast carcinoma. In conclusion, in patients with present or past history of malignancy, the appearance of life-threatening VT should raise the suspicion of cardiac metastases.

Systemic and topical use of poly I.C. in treatment of generalized neonatal herpes simplex infection with severe ocular involvement.

A case of Neonatal Herpes Simlex Virus (RSV) Encephalitis with severe ocular manifestation treated by topical systemic and intrathecal Interferon inducer, Poly IC (Polyriboinosinic acid-Polyribocytidylic acid) is reported. Prior to the administration of Poly IC, no Interferon could be detected neither in blood nor in CSF and vesicular fluid from conjunctiva. Intravenous administration of the drug initiated measurable levels in blood and tears, but not in CSF. However, intrathecal injection induced persistent high levels of Interferon in CSF. Virus clearance from conjunctiva tears and vesicular fluid occurred after three days of topical application of Poly IC. The mechanism of action of Poly IC, the laboratory results and the therapeutic conclusions are discussed in detail. This is the first report of intrathecal administration of Poly IC in a case of HSV Encephalitis.

[Hemophagocytic syndrome].

Hemophagocytic syndrome is a rare, fulminant disease characterized by generalized histiocytic proliferation associated with phagocytosis of erythrocytes, platelets, and to a lesser extent, of white blood cells. We report a 2-year-old boy admitted with high fever and irritability, with a rash, marked hepatomegaly and generalized lymphadenopathy. Liver function tests were abnormal and there was thrombocytopenia and hyperlipidemia. Bone marrow aspiration revealed hemophagocytosis. Despite intensive treatment with steroids, intravenous immunoglobulin and cytotoxic drugs, he died within 10 weeks.