Analysis of telomerase activity and RNA expression in a patient with acute promyelocytic leukemia treated with all-trans retinoic acid

In this study, we show that all-trans retinoic acid (ATRA) treatment leads to a rapid decrease in telomerase activity, which was associated with the reduction in myeloblasts and occurs before the appearance of rnyelocytes, in a patient with acute promyelocytic leukemia (APL). Microarray analysis by ATRA treatment for 48 hr in peripheral blood mononuclear cells (in vivo) and in cultured bone marrow mononuclear cells (in vitro) from a patient with APL revealed upregulation of CD11b, CD11c, CCAATenhancer bindingprotein epsilon, Rb1, Mad, and tumor necrosis factor-related genes; and down-regulation of hTERT, c-Myc, WT1, bcl-2, and eukaryotic translation elongation factor 1 alpha 2. The results might offer the potential to define the molecular mechanism underlying ATRA-incluced granulocytic differentiation in patients with APL, and provide clues to identify novel molecular therapeutic targets. Pediatr Blood Cancer 2006;46: 506-511. (c) 2005 Wiley-Liss, Inc.