Vandetanib is effective in EGFR-mutant lung cancer cells with PTEN deficiency.

The effectiveness of vandetanib, an agent that targets RET, VEGFR and EGFR signaling, against EGFR-mutant lung cancer cells with PTEN loss was investigated. Two EGFR mutant non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) cell lines, PC-9 (PTEN wild type) and NCI-H1650 (PTEN null), were used. We transfected an intact PTEN gene into H1650 cells and knocked down PTEN expression in PC-9 cells using shRNA.

IKAROS isoform 6 enhances BCR-ABL1-mediated proliferation of human CD34+ hematopoietic cells on stromal cells.

The BCR-ABL1 induces chronic myelogenous leukemia (CML) and Ph+ acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL). Recent studies revealed high ratios of loss of the IKZF1 gene which encodes IKAROS in BCR-ABL1+ ALL and lymphoblastic crisis (LBC) of CML. However, little is known about the cooperativity between the aberrant IKAROS and BCR-ABL1 in primary human hematopoietic cells.

The effect of adding rituximab to CHOP-based therapy on clinical outcomes for Japanese patients with diffuse large B-cell lymphoma: a propensity score matching analysis.

We conducted a retrospective analysis to evaluate the impact on clinical outcomes of adding rituximab to cyclophosphamide, doxorubicin, vincristine, and prednisone (CHOP) treatment for diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL) patients in Japan. A propensity score method was used to compensate for the non-randomized study design. From January 2000 to December 2004, 378 patients who were newly diagnosed with DLBCL at 13 institutes were enrolled: 123 in the rituximab plus CHOP-based chemotherapy (R+) group, and 255 in the CHOP-based chemotherapy only (R-) group.

Characterization of the short isoform of Helios overexpressed in patients with T-cell malignancies.

In an earlier report, we demonstrated overexpression of a short isoform of Helios, Hel-5, which lacks three of four N-terminal zinc fingers, in patients with adult T-cell leukemia/lymphoma. Here, we characterized Hel-5 using immunoprecipitation, and gel shift and luciferase promoter assays, and found that Hel-5 lacks the repressor function observed with a full-length isoform of Helios. Moreover, Hel-5 associates with the full-length isoforms of the Ikaros gene family, Ikaros, Aiolos and Helios, and inhibits their DNA binding activity when present in excess, leading to dominant-negative effects on the full-length isoforms of the Ikaros gene family.

Elevation of serum hepatocyte growth factor during granulocyte colony-stimulating factor-induced peripheral blood stem cell mobilization.

We examined serum levels of the angiogenic factors, vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), basic fibroblast growth factor (bFGF), and hepatocyte growth factor (HGF), in normal donors for allogeneic peripheral blood stem cell (PBSC) transplantation. Granulocyte colony-stimulating factor (G-CSF) (filgrastim 400 microg/m2/d) was administered to 23 donors for 5 d and aphereses were performed on days 4 and 5. Although bFGF remained at similar levels after G-CSF treatment, serum VEGF and HGF levels increased 1.

The type 1 CD10/neutral endopeptidase 24.11 promoter: functional characterization of the 5'-untranslated region.

The cell surface zinc metalloproteinase CD10/neutral endopeptidase 24.11 (NEP) is expressed on normal and malignant lymphoid progenitors, granulocytes and a variety of epithelial cells. Because CD10/NEP functions as part of a regulatory loop that controls local concentrations of peptide substrates and associated peptide-mediated signal transduction, its role in each tissue is different depending on the availability of substrate.

Enteropathy-type T-cell lymphoma showing repeated small bowel rupture and refractoriness to chemotherapy: a case report.

The majority of gastrointestinal lymphomas arise in the stomach, whereas lymphomas occurring in the intestine are relatively rare and a limited fraction of them show the T-cell phenotype with clinical manifestations similar to de novo celiac disease. Enteropathy-type T-cell lymphoma is extremely rare in Japan, presumably owing to the very low incidence of celiac disease among the Japanese population. Here, we report a 66-year-old Japanese male who was diagnosed as having enteropathy-type T-cell lymphoma preceded by diarrhea and intermittent bloody stool for over 1 year.

Multiple sclerosis associated with interferon-alpha therapy for chronic myelogenous leukemia.

We report a chronic myelogenous leukemia (CML) patient in chronic phase (CP) who developed multiple sclerosis (MS) in association with interferon-alpha (IFN-alpha) administration. In our patient, recombinant IFN-alpha2b therapy induced hematologically complete and cytogenetically major partial response for CML first, and sequential central nervous system dysfunction evolved, which subsided shortly after the cessation of its administration. Restarting IFN-alpha therapy by changing to a natural type of IFN-alpha resulted in rapid exacerbation of MS.