Comparison of in vitro and in vivo effects of vincristine and vindesine on leukemic cells from patients with chronic granulocytic leukemia in blast crisis

Abstract

We employed a liquid culture system to examine the in vitro effects of vincristine and vindesine on cellular incorporation of 35S0 4 into leukemic cells obtained from 5 patients with chronic granulocytic leukemia in blast crisis. The per cent of 35S0 4 into drug-treated as compared to saline-treated leukemic cells was compared to the clinical outcome of patients treated with these agents. A good or partial clinical response to vincristine or vindesine was seen in patients whose leukemic cells incorporated less than 50% 35S0 4 when exposed to vincristine or vindesine in vitro compared with control saline-treated cells. No clinical response was observed following treatment with vincristine or vindesine if the 35S0 4 incorporation of drug treated leukemic cells was greater than 50% of saline-treated cells. These data suggest that the in vitro effects of vincristine or vindesine on 35S0 4 incorporation into leukemic cells of patients in blast crisis may parallel the clinical outcome of patients treated with these agents in vivo