Leslie M, Case M C, Hall A G, Coulthard S A
Leukaemia Research Group, Northern Institute for Cancer Research, University of Newcastle upon Tyne, Newcastle upon Tyne, UK.
Br J Haematol. 2006 Mar;132(6):740-2. doi: 10.1111/j.1365-2141.2005.05945.x.
L-asparaginase is active in the treatment of acute lymphoblastic leukaemia (ALL) through the depletion of serum asparagine. Here we report that median asparagine synthetase (AS) mRNA levels were higher in acute myeloid leukaemia (AML) than ALL blasts in both children and adults, with intermediate levels in normal peripheral blood mononuclear cells (NPBMC). NPBMC versus child ALL (Tukeys multiple comparison test, P < 0.05); child ALL versus child AML (P < 0.001) and adult ALL versus adult AML (P < 0.01) were all significant and support the hypothesis that selectivity to treatment with l-asparaginase is due, at least in part, to lower AS expression.
