In vivo monitoring of therapy – induced apoptotic process in patients with chronic lymphocytic leukemia and acute non-lymphoblastic leukemia

Abstract

BACKGROUND: The level of spontaneous apoptosis, the maximal response by apoptosis and the time when maximal apoptotic response is established are significant prognostic parameters that correlate with the therapeutic response of patients with malignant diseases. METHODS: Our study included 12 patients with B-CLL (I group of 7 patients) and ANLL (II group of 5 patients). Detection of apoptotic parameters on semifine section of peripheral blood was performed. Bcl 2 and mutated p53 expression were analyzed using the monoclonal antibodies by APAAP techniques. RESULTS: In our work, the established levels of spontaneous and therapy induced apoptosis correlate with clinical response of patients. All patients were bcl 2 strongly positive. Expression of p53 protein was not detected in these patients. The ultra structural analysis of the malignant cells has shown that a great number of cells react to antineoplastic agents’ effect either by activating the cell response to stress or by apoptosis. CONCLUSION: The results of our pilot study have shown that the established levels of spontaneous and therapy induced apoptosis are in correlation with the clinical response of the patients to the applied therapy and that the measurable apoptotic parameters can represent prognostic parameters in treatment of hematologic neoplasms.