Epidermal growth factor in acute promyelocytic leukemia treated with retinoic acid

Int J Hematol. 1995 Aug;62(2):83-9.

Abstract

We studied 18 patients with acute promyelocytic leukaemia and 13 with relapsed APL. We found a significantly elevated EGF in acute leukaemia, especially in APL, being 418.59 +/- 19.2 micrograms in the 24-h urine that was much higher than that of the normal controls. When eight APL patients achieved complete remission by RA treatment, the EGF value decreased to 149.9 +/- 27.3 micrograms in the 24-h urine near to normal. In 13 patients with relapsed APL, EGF rose to 446.9 +/- 82.6 micrograms in the 24-h urine. Most interestingly, this elevated EGF could be detected before the relapse by 5 +/- 0.84 months in seven out of eight APL with relapse. We suggest that the unaccountably elevated EGF during remission period may be an indicator of the occurrence of relapse.

Publication types

  • Comparative Study

MeSH terms

  • Acute Disease
  • Adult
  • Aged
  • Base Sequence
  • Biomarkers, Tumor / urine*
  • Cell Differentiation / drug effects
  • Epidermal Growth Factor / urine*
  • Female
  • Humans
  • Immunologic Factors / therapeutic use*
  • Leukemia, Myeloid / urine
  • Leukemia, Promyelocytic, Acute / drug therapy
  • Leukemia, Promyelocytic, Acute / therapy*
  • Leukemia, Promyelocytic, Acute / urine
  • Male
  • Middle Aged
  • Molecular Sequence Data
  • Neoplasm Proteins / analysis
  • Neoplasm Proteins / urine*
  • Neoplasm Recurrence, Local / urine
  • Neoplasm, Residual
  • Oncogene Proteins, Fusion / analysis
  • Precursor Cell Lymphoblastic Leukemia-Lymphoma / urine
  • Remission Induction
  • Tretinoin / therapeutic use*

Substances

  • Biomarkers, Tumor
  • Immunologic Factors
  • Neoplasm Proteins
  • Oncogene Proteins, Fusion
  • promyelocytic leukemia-retinoic acid receptor alpha fusion oncoprotein
  • Tretinoin
  • Epidermal Growth Factor