Subject: Vitamin def = leukemia



   Title: [Vitamin deficiency-induced pancytopenia mimicking leukemia.
   Three cases]

   Foreign Title: [Pancytopenie carentielle mimant une leucemie. Trois
   observations.]

   Author(s): Cacoub P; Gatfosse M; Derbel A; Chapelon C; Verny C; Godeau
   P

   Address: Service de Medecine Interne, Hopital de La Pitie-Salpetriere,
   Paris.

   Source: Presse Med 1991 Oct 19;20(33):1603-6

   Abstract: Folate and vitamin B12 are indispensable to normal cell
   division. High turnover tissues, therefore, are the first to be
   affected when these vitamins are deficient. Such deficiencies, which
   are known to result in megaloblastic anaemia at a late stage, may also
   influence the granulocyte and platelet lines, but pancytopenia rarely
   occurs. We report 3 cases of pancytopenia associated with folate
   and/or vitamin B12 deficiency in elderly patients. In two of these
   patients bone marrow examination showed a misleading
   "pseudo-leukaemia" due to a significant proportion of strongly
   dystrophic young cells. Cure was obtained within 30 to 45 days of
   vitamin therapy, with complete normalization of the haemogram

   Major Indexes:
     * Folic Acid Deficiency [complications]
     * Pancytopenia [etiology]
     * Vitamin B 12 Deficiency [complications]

   Minor Indexes:
     * Aged, 80 and over
     * Aged
     * Blood Cell Count
     * Diagnosis, Differential
     * Leukemia [diagnosis]
     * Pancytopenia [diagnosis]

   Language: French
   Periodical Type: JOURNAL ARTICLE
From watchman@nucleus.com Tue Feb 25 22:35:17 1997
Date: Thu, 16 May 1996 17:31:43 -0600 (MDT)
From: Tom Hennessy 
To: watchman@nucleus.com
Subject: leukemia/chelators

    ______________

   [MEDLARS Format] [OMIM] [Save As...] [30 MEDLINE neighbors]

   Chin Med J (Engl) 102: 902-5 (1989)[90276031]

The inhibitory effect of deferoxamine on DNA synthesis in human lymphocytes.



    S. T. Wang, K. L. Jin & T. H. Li



   As an iron-chelating agent, deferoxamine (DFO) is widely used in
   treating iron poisoning and disorders of iron overload. This study
   demonstrates that DFO is a potent S-phase inhibitor of DNA synthesis
   in human lymphocytes in vitro, and this inhibitory effect of DFO is
   reversible by adding appropriate amounts of ferric ion. As a nontoxic
   and selective-S-phase inhibitor, it may play a role in
   immunosuppression in experimental and therapeutic situations. It may
   even become an auxiliary therapy for leukemia or other malignant
   tumors.

   MeSH Terms:
     * Cell Division/drug effects
     * DNA/biosynthesis
     * DNA/drug effects
     * Deferoxamine/pharmacology
     * Flow Cytometry
     * Human
     * Lymphocytes/cytology
     * Lymphocytes/metabolism



   Substances:
     * DNA
     * Deferoxamine


     _________________________________________________________________
From watchman@nucleus.com Tue Feb 25 22:35:40 1997
Date: Fri, 11 Oct 1996 21:04:24 -0600 (MDT)
From: Tom Hennessy 
To: watchman@nucleus.com
Subject: retinoid/antioxidant/leukemia/cancer

     _________________________________________________________________

   Klin Padiatr 207: 43-47 (1995)[95272046]

Retinoids in the treatment of acute promyelocytic leukemia. Review of the
literature.



    N. Graf, P. Riesinger & H. Reinhard



   Klinik fur Kinder- u. Jugendmedizin, Universitat des Saarlandes,
   Homburg/Saar.

   Retinoids are derivates of vitamin A. They play an important role in
   embryogenesis and differentiation of normal cells. All-trans retinoic
   acid (ATRA, Tretinoin) and 13-cis retinoid acid (cRA, Isotretinoin)
   are the most important isomers. The first treatment with retinoids in
   a patient with an acute promyelocytic leukemia (APL) is reported in
   1983. Since 1988 studies are done investigating the effect of
   retinoids in APL. These studies demonstrate, that retinoids can
   achieve a high remission rate in patients with APL but without curing
   patients. A combination with chemotherapy is always necessary. The
   main advantage of using retinoids in this disease is a rapid
   improvement of the hemostatic disorder and the absence of an aplastic
   phase. Side effects of retinoids are those of the hypervitaminosis A
   syndrome and have to be considered in every patient treated with this
   drug. The addition of alpha-Tocopherol seems to ameliorate the
   toxicity of retinoic acid (RA). The theoretical background of the
   treatment with retinoids in APL as well as the clinical studies done
   so far are explained in detail.

   MeSH Terms:
     * Antineoplastic Agents, Combined/therapeutic use
     * Cell Differentiation/drug effects
     * Cell Division/drug effects
     * Cell Line
     * Child
     * Human
     * Leukemia, Promyelocytic, Acute/drug therapy
     * Remission Induction
     * Retinoids/adverse effects
     * Retinoids/therapeutic use
     * Tumor Cells, Cultured/drug effects



   Substances:
     * Retinoids
     * Antineoplastic Agents, Combined


     _________________________________________________________________

Subject: retinoid/vitamin A/leukemia/aplastic

     _________________________________________________________________

   Klin Padiatr 207: 43-47 (1995)[95272046]

Retinoids in the treatment of acute promyelocytic leukemia. Review of the
literature.



    N. Graf, P. Riesinger & H. Reinhard



   Klinik fur Kinder- u. Jugendmedizin, Universitat des Saarlandes,
   Homburg/Saar.

   Retinoids are derivates of vitamin A. They play an important role in
   embryogenesis and differentiation of normal cells. All-trans retinoic
   acid (ATRA, Tretinoin) and 13-cis retinoid acid (cRA, Isotretinoin)
   are the most important isomers. The first treatment with retinoids in
   a patient with an acute promyelocytic leukemia (APL) is reported in
   1983. Since 1988 studies are done investigating the effect of
   retinoids in APL. These studies demonstrate, that retinoids can
   achieve a high remission rate in patients with APL but without curing
   patients. A combination with chemotherapy is always necessary. The
   main advantage of using retinoids in this disease is a rapid
   improvement of the hemostatic disorder and the absence of an aplastic
   phase. Side effects of retinoids are those of the hypervitaminosis A
   syndrome and have to be considered in every patient treated with this
   drug. The addition of alpha-Tocopherol seems to ameliorate the
   toxicity of retinoic acid (RA). The theoretical background of the
   treatment with retinoids in APL as well as the clinical studies done
   so far are explained in detail.

   MeSH Terms:
     * Antineoplastic Agents, Combined/therapeutic use
     * Cell Differentiation/drug effects
     * Cell Division/drug effects
     * Cell Line
     * Child
     * Human
     * Leukemia, Promyelocytic, Acute/drug therapy
     * Remission Induction
     * Retinoids/adverse effects
     * Retinoids/therapeutic use
     * Tumor Cells, Cultured/drug effects



   Substances:
     * Retinoids
     * Antineoplastic Agents, Combined


     _________________________________________________________________

Subject: leukemia/retinoic acid/vitamin A

"Recently, two USC researchers began unraveling a medical puzzle calling for
all the tools of translational research.  Alexandra Levine, M.D., professor
of medicine and chief of the division of hematology, and Dan Douer, M.D.,
associate professor of medicine, are attempting to adopt a treatment for
leukemia that was first utilized abroad.

Nearly ten years ago, physicians working in China found a traditional remedy
for one type of leukemia called APL (acute promyelocytic leukemia).  The
remedy seemed to work astonishingly well -- patients taking one  type of pill
were seemingly achieving a complete remission of the disease.  Later research
confirmed the reports, and an analysis of the Chinese medicine revealed that
it consisted of a molecule called all-trans retinoic acid, a derivative of
Vitamin A that is normally present in the body.  Until this time, only
chemotherapy was able to achieve this effect.

The doses of all-trans retinoic acid con(HOME) tained in the pill turned out to be
much higher than the amounts that are part of a typical diet.  Later,
scientists hypothesized that such high doses of retinoic acid could enter the
nucleus of blood cells even without the specialized receptor that fails in
people with APL.  When that receptor fails, the growth cycle of healthy blood
cells is broken, leading to the accumulation of immature white blood cells
and to uncontrolled bleeding and an inability to fight off infection.

Therapy with retinoic acid has now become standard for patients with APL.
 And when  retinoic acid is used with chemotherapy, their leukemia may
possibly be halted entirely.  The Chinese discovery helped to open avenues
for APL research on the USC campus."

I hope that further links between TCM and Western medicine can be forged.

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