The present study was conducted to evaluate some cytogenetic and DNA content in blood cells (lymphocyte) from chronic myeloid leukemia (CML) patients. Fifteen patients were randomly selected, in addition to fifteen healthy subjects included as a control group. Three cytogenetic parameters, i.e. the blastogenic index (BI), mitotic index (MI), chromosomal aberrations (CAs), and in particular Philadelphia chromosome (Ph+ve chromosome) were assessed in lymphocytes of cultured peripheral blood. The sensitivity of leukemic cells for two types of drugs, molecular therapeutic (gleevec), and cytotoxic agent (methotrexate (MTX)) was demonstrated in vitro. Gleevec was used in four concentrations (0.1, 1, 10, and 100μg/ml), and MTX was used in two concentrations (12.5, and 100μg/ml) of cultured media. However, the patients were categorized according to their response to the drugs, as sensitive (S), moderately resistance (MR), and resistant (R) groups, with a frequency of 46.7%, 13.3%, and 40.0% respectively.
Blastogenic index, MI, and CAs were significantly higher in drug-free cultures of patients, particularly in the R group, when compared with control group. Treatment of cultures with anticancer drugs reduced the mean values of cytogenetic parameters. The two drugs were exhibited maximal cytogenesis effectiveness. On other hand, the (100 μg/ml) concentration of each drug was pointed out to terminate the cytogenetic deviation in the S and MR groups of CML patients. In contrast, patient of the R group (Multidrug resistance) revealed resistance to the four concentrations of gleevec, and two concentrations of MTX.
The DNA content estimated in patient groups (S, R) and control. Blood cells were cultured at different period time (24, 48, 72, and 96 hr) of incubation when treated with cut-off concentration (100 μg/ml) of gleevec. Resistant group of leukemic patients showed significant elevated levels of DNA content in absence or presence of drug, in comparison with S group of CML patients and controls. From this study we inferred the cytogenetic parameter (BI, MI, CAs, and Ph+ve) were so effectiveness to known patients' response (sensitive or resistance) to drugs and choused the useful one. Moreover, the elevation of DNA content in lymphocyte culture seemed to be correlated with drug resistance.
