ALBERT

Description: Allelotype analysis of adult T-cell leukemia (ATL) was undertaken for the first time to identify chromosomal loci relevant to the development of acute/lymphomatous ATL. Loss of heterozygosity (LOH) was screened using 94 highly polymorphic microsatellite markers, distributed among all nonacrocentric, autosomal chromosomes. In each of the 22 cases, DNA obtained from their leukemic cells in acute/lymphomatous phase was compared with their constitutional DNA from mononuclear cells in chronic or remission phase. Allelic losses of at least on one chromosome arm occurred in 91% of the cases (20 individuals). Among 39 chromosome arms, allelic losses were observed on 31 arms at least for one sample. A high frequency of allelic loss (〉30%) was seen on chromosome arms 6q (41%) and 17p (48%). The mean fractional allelic loss (FAL) was 0.109. These findings suggest that a novel tumor suppressor gene on chromosome arm 6q, as well as the p53 gene on chromosome arm 17p, probably have an important role in the development of acute/lymphomatous ATL. © 1998 by The American Society of Hematology.

Description: A human herpesvirus-8 (HHV-8) enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) with a whole virus lysate as antigen was developed and used to measure the seroprevalence rate and levels of IgG antibodies to HHV-8 in sera/plasma of various patient groups and blood donors. The virus antigen was prepared from the KS-1 cell line, which produces lytic virus, and therefore contains a broad array of viral proteins. Seroprevalence studies using this ELISA showed the following: 10 of 91 blood donors (11%) had an average HHV-8 antibody titer of 118; 67 of 72 (93%) classic Kaposi's sarcoma (KS) patients were positive with an average titer of 14,111; and 57 of 62 (92%) KS/human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) patients were positive with an average titer of 4,000. A study on a very limited number of serial serum samples from patients before and after diagnosis with KS showed highly elevated antibody titers to HHV-8 virus after KS lesions developed. Preliminary data show that 50% of the sera from HIV-1+ homosexual patients contain IgG antibodies to HHV-8 suggesting that this population is at high risk for developing KS. Antibody results correlated well with the confirmatory immunofluorescent assays (IFA) using KS-1 cells as the substrate. This HHV-8 IgG antibody detection ELISA is sensitive and specific and does not cross-react with Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) or other human herpesviruses. The results of this HHV-8 antibody survey suggest that this rapid ELISA assay can be used to screen large numbers of sera to find those at risk for developing KS.

Description: Allelotype analysis of adult T-cell leukemia (ATL) was undertaken for the first time to identify chromosomal loci relevant to the development of acute/lymphomatous ATL. Loss of heterozygosity (LOH) was screened using 94 highly polymorphic microsatellite markers, distributed among all nonacrocentric, autosomal chromosomes. In each of the 22 cases, DNA obtained from their leukemic cells in acute/lymphomatous phase was compared with their constitutional DNA from mononuclear cells in chronic or remission phase. Allelic losses of at least on one chromosome arm occurred in 91% of the cases (20 individuals). Among 39 chromosome arms, allelic losses were observed on 31 arms at least for one sample. A high frequency of allelic loss (〉30%) was seen on chromosome arms 6q (41%) and 17p (48%). The mean fractional allelic loss (FAL) was 0.109. These findings suggest that a novel tumor suppressor gene on chromosome arm 6q, as well as the p53 gene on chromosome arm 17p, probably have an important role in the development of acute/lymphomatous ATL. © 1998 by The American Society of Hematology.

Description: Primary effusion lymphoma (PEL) is a distinct clinicopathologic entity associated with Kaposi's sarcoma-associated herpes virus (KSHV). Several cytokines, including interleukin-6 (IL-6), basic fibroblast growth factor (bFGF), and platelet-derived growth factor (PDGF) may be important for survival of KS cells. However, little is known about the interaction of cytokines with KSHV-infected lymphocytes from PEL. Therefore, we investigated what cytokines were produced by KSHV-infected PEL cell lines (KS-1, BC-1, BC-2), what cytokine receptors were expressed by these cells, what response these cells had to selected cytokines, and what was the effect of IL-6 antisense phosphorothioated oligonucleotides. Reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) and protein studies showed that these three cell lines produced IL-10, IL-6, and the receptors for IL-6. The granulocyte macrophage colony-stimulating factor (GM-CSF), IL-1β, IL-8, IL-12, bFGF, PDGF, and c-kit transcripts were not detected in the cell lines. High levels (0.7 to 5 ng/mL/106cells/48 hours) of IL-6 protein were consistently detected in supernatants of the cell lines by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) tests. In clonogenic assays, interferon-α (IFN-α) and IFN-γ suppressed the clonal growth of the PEL cells, but GM-CSF, IL-4, IL-6, IL-8, IL-10, and oncostatin M did not change it. We examined for several autocrine loops that have been suggested to occur in KS. Experiments using antisense oligonucleotides showed that the clonal growth of KS-1 and BC-1 was nearly 100% inhibited by IL-6 antisense oligonucleotides (10 μmol/L), but not at all by either oligonucleotides (≤10 μmol/L) to IL-6 sense, IL-6 scrambled, viral IL-6 (vIL-6) antisense, or IL-10 antisense. Furthermore, the IL-6 antisense oligonucleotides had no effect on two B-cell lymphoma cell lines, which were not infected with KSHV. Addition of IL-6 antibody did not inhibit clonal growth of any of the cell lines. Taken together, we have defined the cytokines and their receptors expressed on PEL cells and have found that these cells synthesized IL-6 and IL-6 receptors; interruption of this pathway by IL-6 antisense oligonucleotides specifically prevented the growth of these cells. These findings will offer potential new therapeutic strategies for PEL.

Description: Primary effusion lymphoma (PEL) is a distinct clinicopathologic entity associated with Kaposi's sarcoma-associated herpes virus (KSHV). Several cytokines, including interleukin-6 (IL-6), basic fibroblast growth factor (bFGF), and platelet-derived growth factor (PDGF) may be important for survival of KS cells. However, little is known about the interaction of cytokines with KSHV-infected lymphocytes from PEL. Therefore, we investigated what cytokines were produced by KSHV-infected PEL cell lines (KS-1, BC-1, BC-2), what cytokine receptors were expressed by these cells, what response these cells had to selected cytokines, and what was the effect of IL-6 antisense phosphorothioated oligonucleotides. Reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) and protein studies showed that these three cell lines produced IL-10, IL-6, and the receptors for IL-6. The granulocyte macrophage colony-stimulating factor (GM-CSF), IL-1β, IL-8, IL-12, bFGF, PDGF, and c-kit transcripts were not detected in the cell lines. High levels (0.7 to 5 ng/mL/106cells/48 hours) of IL-6 protein were consistently detected in supernatants of the cell lines by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) tests. In clonogenic assays, interferon-α (IFN-α) and IFN-γ suppressed the clonal growth of the PEL cells, but GM-CSF, IL-4, IL-6, IL-8, IL-10, and oncostatin M did not change it. We examined for several autocrine loops that have been suggested to occur in KS. Experiments using antisense oligonucleotides showed that the clonal growth of KS-1 and BC-1 was nearly 100% inhibited by IL-6 antisense oligonucleotides (10 μmol/L), but not at all by either oligonucleotides (≤10 μmol/L) to IL-6 sense, IL-6 scrambled, viral IL-6 (vIL-6) antisense, or IL-10 antisense. Furthermore, the IL-6 antisense oligonucleotides had no effect on two B-cell lymphoma cell lines, which were not infected with KSHV. Addition of IL-6 antibody did not inhibit clonal growth of any of the cell lines. Taken together, we have defined the cytokines and their receptors expressed on PEL cells and have found that these cells synthesized IL-6 and IL-6 receptors; interruption of this pathway by IL-6 antisense oligonucleotides specifically prevented the growth of these cells. These findings will offer potential new therapeutic strategies for PEL.