scholarly journals Bradycardia during Induction Therapy with All-trans Retinoic Acid in Patients with Acute Promyelocytic Leukemia: Case Report and Literature Review

2018 ◽  
Vol 2018 ◽  
pp. 1-6 ◽  
Author(s):  
Pin-Zi Chen ◽  
Yee-Jen Wu ◽  
Chien-Chih Wu ◽  
Yu-Wen Wang

A 41-year-old man with newly diagnosed acute promyelocytic leukemia (APL) received induction chemotherapy, containing all-trans retinoic acid (ATRA), idarubicin, and arsenic trioxide. On the 11th day of therapy, he experienced complete atrioventricular (AV) block; therefore, ATRA and arsenic trioxide were immediately postponed. His heart rate partially recovered, and ATRA was rechallenged with a half dose. However, complete AV block as well as differentiation syndrome recurred on the next day. ATRA was immediately discontinued, and a temporary pacemaker was inserted. Two days after discontinuing ATRA, AV block gradually improved, and ATRA was uneventfully rechallenged again. The Naranjo adverse drug reaction probability scale was 7 for ATRA, suggesting it was the probable cause of arrhythmia. A literature search identified 6 other cases of bradycardia during ATRA therapy, and all of them occurred during APL induction therapy, with onset ranging from 4 days to 25 days. Therefore, monitoring vital signs and performing electrocardiogram are highly recommended during the first month of induction therapy with ATRA. ATRA should be discontinued if complete AV block occurs. Rechallenging with ATRA can be considered in fully recovered and clinically stable patients.

Blood ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 134 (Supplement_1) ◽  
pp. 5088-5088
Author(s):  
Shiwei Yang ◽  
Zunmin Zhu ◽  
Xiaojian Zhu ◽  
Yicheng Zhang

Objective To analyze the outcomes of all-trans-retinoic acid (ATRA) and IV arsenic trioxide (ATO) plus idarubicin (IDA) as a frontline induction therapy in 118 acute promyelocytic leukemia (APL) patients with high risk (HR) and standard risk (SR) from January 2008 to December 2017. Methods The medical records of 118 APL patients (HR, n=45; SR, n=73) who received the frontline triple combination regimen at Henan Provincial People's Hospital and Tongji Hospital were retrospectively reviewed. Consolidation therapy comprised 6 cycles of ATO and ATRA plus IDA, and IDA was administered in 1~4 cycles of consolidation therapy based on the comparable clinical efficacy compared with 6 cycles and fewer side effects to myocardium without subsequent maintenance therapy. Results Of 118 patients, there were 3 (2.5%) early deaths and 115 (97.5%) hematologic complete remissions (hCR), and 102 (88.7%) of 115 patients achieved molecular complete remissions (mCR) following induction therapy, and all patients were PCR-negative for PML-RARa after the first cycle of consolidation therapy. The 5-year overall survival (OS) and event-free survival (EFS) were 93.0±2.9% and 92.4±3.0%, respectively. Early death, hCR, mCR and toxicities were comparable between the HR and SR groups. The cumulative incidence of relapse (CIR) in the HR group was 4.7% (n=2), and the CIR in the SR group was 0. The OS and EFS of the SR and HR groups were comparable (92.3±4.5 vs. 92.8±4.0%, X2=0.263, P=0.608; 92.3±4.5 vs. 91.1±4.2%, X2=0.917, P=0.338). The total dosage of IDA was approximately 181~258 mg, and no patient experienced cardiotoxicity. OS and EFS were not influenced by fms-related tyrosine kinase 3 internal tandem duplication (FLT3-ITD) mutation status (P=0.405, 0.528, respectively). Conclusion The triple combination of ATRA and ATO plus IDA as both an induction and consolidation therapy for the HR and SR groups attained excellent outcomes, and this regimen was effective, safe and easy, without maintenance therapy. The triple combination treatment might be a preferred frontline therapy for APL patients, especially for HR patients or patients with the APL FLT3-ITD mutation. Disclosures No relevant conflicts of interest to declare.


Oncotarget ◽  
2016 ◽  
Vol 7 (29) ◽  
pp. 46028-46041 ◽  
Author(s):  
Farzaneh Atashrazm ◽  
Ray M. Lowenthal ◽  
Joanne L. Dickinson ◽  
Adele F. Holloway ◽  
Gregory M. Woods

Cancers ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 12 (3) ◽  
pp. 648 ◽  
Author(s):  
Károly Jambrovics ◽  
Iván P. Uray ◽  
Jeffrey W. Keillor ◽  
László Fésüs ◽  
Zoltán Balajthy

Randomized trials in acute promyelocytic leukemia patients have shown that treatment with a combination of all-trans retinoic acid (ATRA) and arsenic trioxide (ATO) is superior in efficacy to monotherapy, with significantly decreased mortality. So far, there are little data available to explain the success of the ATRA and ATO combination treatment in molecular terms. We showed that ATRA- and ATO-treated cells had the same capacity for superoxide production, which was reduced by two-thirds in the combined treatment. Secreted inflammatory biomarkers (monocyte chemoattractant protein-1 [MCP-1], interleukin-1 beta [IL-1β] and tumor necrosis factor-α [TNF-α]) were significantly decreased and were further reduced in a transglutaminase 2 (TG2) expression-dependent manner. The amount of secreted TNF-α in the supernatant of NB4 TG2 knockout cells was close to 50 times lower than in ATRA-treated differentiated wild-type NB4 cells. The irreversible inhibitor of TG2 NC9 not only decreased reactive oxygen species production 28-fold, but decreased the concentration of MCP-1, IL-1β and TNF-α 8-, 15- and 61-fold, respectively in the combined ATRA + ATO-treated wild-type NB4 cell culture. We propose that atypical expression of TG2 leads to the generation of inflammation, which thereby serves as a potential target for the prevention of differentiation syndrome.


2014 ◽  
Vol 05 (03) ◽  
pp. 273-275
Author(s):  
T. M. Anoop ◽  
Nidhi Jain ◽  
Sreejith G. Nair ◽  
Geetha Narayanan

ABSTRACTAll-trans-retinoic acid is an integral part in the treatment strategy of acute promyelocytic leukemia (APL). Here we describe a case of pseudotumor cerebri associated with all-trans-retinoic acid (ATRA) during the induction therapy in an adult with acute promyelocytic leukemia (APL).


Blood ◽  
1993 ◽  
Vol 82 (7) ◽  
pp. 2175-2181 ◽  
Author(s):  
L Delva ◽  
M Cornic ◽  
N Balitrand ◽  
F Guidez ◽  
JM Miclea ◽  
...  

Abstract All-trans retinoic acid (ATRA) induces leukemic cell differentiation and complete remission (CR) in a high proportion of patients with acute promyelocytic leukemia (AML3 subtype). However, relapses occur when ATRA is prescribed as maintenance therapy, and resistance to a second ATRA-induction therapy is frequently observed. An induced hypercatabolism of ATRA has been suggested as a possible mechanism leading to reduced ATRA sensitivity and resistance. CRABPII, an RA cytoplasmic binding protein linked to RA's metabolization pathway, is induced by ATRA in different cell systems. To investigate whether specific features of the AML3 cells at relapse could explain the in vivo resistance observed, we studied the CRABP levels and in vitro sensitivity to ATRA of AML3 cells before and at relapse from ATRA. Relapse-AML3 cells (n = 12) showed reduced differentiation induction when compared with “virgin”-AML3 cells (n = 31; P < .05). Dose-response studies were performed in 2 cases at relapse and showed decreased sensitivity to low ATRA concentrations. CRABPII levels and in vitro differentiation characteristics of AML3 cells before and at relapse from ATRA therapy were studied concomittantly in 4 patients. High levels of CRABPII (median, 20 fmol/mg of protein) were detected in the cells of the 4 patients at relapse but were not detected before ATRA therapy. Three of these patients showed a decrease in differentiation induction of their leukemic cells, and a failure to achieve CR with a second induction therapy of ATRA 45 mg/m2/day was noted in all patients treated (n = 3). Results from this study provide evidence to support the hypothesis of induced-ATRA metabolism as one of the major mechanisms responsible for ATRA resistance. Monitoring CRABPII levels after ATRA withdrawal may help to determine when to administer ATRA in the maintenance or relapse therapy of AML3 patients.


Blood ◽  
2009 ◽  
Vol 114 (27) ◽  
pp. 5512-5521 ◽  
Author(s):  
Maaike Luesink ◽  
Jeroen L. A. Pennings ◽  
Willemijn M. Wissink ◽  
Peter C. M. Linssen ◽  
Petra Muus ◽  
...  

Abstract In acute promyelocytic leukemia (APL), differentiation therapy with all-trans retinoic acid (ATRA) and/or arsenic trioxide can induce a differentiation syndrome (DS) with massive pulmonary infiltration of differentiating leukemic cells. Because chemokines are implicated in migration and extravasation of leukemic cells, chemokines might play a role in DS. ATRA stimulation of the APL cell line NB4 induced expression of multiple CC-chemokines (CCLs) and their receptors (> 19-fold), resulting in increased chemokine levels and chemotaxis. Induction of CCL2 and CCL24 was directly mediated by ligand-activated retinoic acid receptors. In primary leukemia cells derived from APL patients at diagnosis, ATRA induced chemokine production as well. Furthermore, in plasma of an APL patient with DS, we observed chemokine induction, suggesting that chemokines might be important in DS. Dexamethasone, which efficiently reduces pulmonary chemokine production, did not inhibit chemokine induction in APL cells. Finally, chemokine production was also induced by arsenic trioxide as single agent or in combination with ATRA. We propose that differentiation therapy may induce chemokine production in the lung and in APL cells, which both trigger migration of leukemic cells. Because dexamethasone does not efficiently reduce leukemic chemokine production, pulmonary infiltration of leukemic cells may induce an uncontrollable hyperinflammatory reaction in the lung.


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