Cellular expression of antiapoptotic BCL-2 oncoprotein in newly diagnosed childhood acute lymphoblastic leukemia: a Children's Cancer Group Study

Blood. 1997 May 15;89(10):3769-77.

Abstract

We found a marked variation in BCL-2 oncoprotein expression levels of primary leukemic cells from 338 children with newly diagnosed acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL). None of the high-risk features predictive of poor treatment outcome in childhood ALL, such as older age, high white blood cell (WBC) count, organomegaly, T-lineage immunophenotype, ability of leukemic cells to cause overt leukemia in severe combined immunodeficient (SCID) mice, presence of MLL-AF4, and BCR-ABL fusion transcripts were associated with high levels of BCL-2 expression. Overall, high BCL-2 levels were not associated with slow early response, failure to achieve complete remission, or poor event-free survival. High BCL-2 levels in primary leukemic cells predicted slow early response only in T-lineage ALL patients, which comprised approximately 15% of the total patient population. Even for this small subset of patients, the level of BCL-2 expression did not have a significant impact on the short-term event-free survival.

Publication types

  • Multicenter Study

MeSH terms

  • Adolescent
  • Adult
  • Animals
  • Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols / therapeutic use
  • Apoptosis*
  • Biomarkers, Tumor
  • Burkitt Lymphoma / genetics
  • Burkitt Lymphoma / metabolism
  • Burkitt Lymphoma / mortality
  • Burkitt Lymphoma / pathology
  • Child
  • Child, Preschool
  • Cohort Studies
  • Disease-Free Survival
  • Female
  • Gene Expression Regulation, Leukemic*
  • Genes, bcl-2
  • Humans
  • Immunophenotyping
  • Infant
  • Leukemia-Lymphoma, Adult T-Cell / genetics
  • Leukemia-Lymphoma, Adult T-Cell / metabolism
  • Leukemia-Lymphoma, Adult T-Cell / mortality
  • Leukemia-Lymphoma, Adult T-Cell / pathology
  • Male
  • Mice
  • Mice, SCID
  • Neoplasm Proteins / biosynthesis*
  • Neoplasm Proteins / genetics
  • Neoplasm Proteins / physiology
  • Neoplasm Transplantation
  • Oncogene Proteins, Fusion / analysis
  • Precursor Cell Lymphoblastic Leukemia-Lymphoma / drug therapy
  • Precursor Cell Lymphoblastic Leukemia-Lymphoma / genetics*
  • Precursor Cell Lymphoblastic Leukemia-Lymphoma / metabolism
  • Precursor Cell Lymphoblastic Leukemia-Lymphoma / mortality
  • Precursor Cell Lymphoblastic Leukemia-Lymphoma / pathology
  • Prognosis
  • Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-bcl-2 / biosynthesis*
  • Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-bcl-2 / genetics
  • Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-bcl-2 / physiology
  • Remission Induction
  • Risk Factors
  • Survival Analysis
  • Treatment Outcome

Substances

  • Biomarkers, Tumor
  • Neoplasm Proteins
  • Oncogene Proteins, Fusion
  • Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-bcl-2