Related Experiment Video
Updated: Aug 30, 2026
Immunoglobulin Gene Sequence Analysis In Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia: From Patient Material To Sequence Interpretation
Published on: November 26, 2018
[STI 571 for treating 19 patients with chronic-phase chronic myeloid leukemia]
Fan-yi Meng1, Wei-yang Zheng, Xiao-li Liu
1Department of Hematology, Nanfang Hospital, First Military Medical University, Guangzhou 510515, China. mengfu@medmail.com.cn
Insights
STI 571 effectively treats chronic myeloid leukemia (CML) by inducing high rates of complete hematological remission (CHR) and major cytogenetic responses (MCR). Early-stage CML-CP patients showed the best outcomes with STI 571 therapy.
Area of Science:
- Hematology
- Oncology
- Pharmacology
Context:
- Chronic myeloid leukemia (CML) is a myeloproliferative neoplasm characterized by the Philadelphia chromosome (Ph).
- Targeted therapies have revolutionized CML treatment, but response rates can vary based on disease phase.
- Understanding the efficacy of specific agents like STI 571 across different CML phases is crucial for optimizing patient care.
Purpose:
- To evaluate the therapeutic efficacy of STI 571 in patients with Philadelphia chromosome-positive chronic myeloid leukemia (CML).
- To compare treatment outcomes between CML chronic phase (CML-CP) and CML accelerated phase (CML-AP) patients receiving STI 571.
Summary:
- STI 571 treatment resulted in 100% complete hematological remission (CHR) and 79% major cytogenetic responses (MCR) in a cohort of 19 CML patients.
- Complete cytogenetic remission (CCR) rates were significantly higher in early-stage CML-CP patients (88.9%) compared to advanced-stage CML-CP (40%) and CML-AP (0%).
- STI 571 demonstrates potent activity in achieving hematological and cytogenetic responses in CML, with superior outcomes in earlier disease stages.
Impact:
- STI 571 is a highly effective treatment for CML, particularly in achieving hematological and cytogenetic responses.
- The study highlights the importance of disease stage in predicting response to STI 571, emphasizing its benefit in early-stage CML-CP.
- These findings support the use of STI 571 in CML management, especially for patients in the chronic phase.
Objective:
To compare the therapeutic effects of STI 571 in treating Philadelphia chromosome (Ph)-positive patients with chronic-phase and acceleration phase chronic myeloid leukemia (CML-CP and CML-AP, respectively).
Methods:
A total of 19 CML patients with Ph chromosome and/or fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH)-bcr/abl fusion gene positivity rates over 90% and a median age of 38 years were recruited in this study, 12 of whom had previously failed to respond to interferon-alpha. Five of the 19 patients were in accelerated phase and 14 in chronic phase, 9 of the latter patient group in early stage of CML-CP (within 1 year since diagnosis) and 5 in advanced stage (3-6 years since diagnosis). All the patients were given oral STI 571 at the dose of 300-500 mg/d for a median treatment course of 5 months, and the 5 patients with CML-AP also received homoharringtonine at dose of 1-2 mg/d for an average of 1.5 treatment cycles (7-14 d for a complete treatment cycle). The Ph chromosome and the FISH-bcr/abl were analysed again 3 months after the treatment.
Results:
STI 571 induced 100% complete hematological remission (CHR) and 79% major cytogenetic responses (MCR) in these patients. The complete cytogenetic remission (CCR) rates of CML-AP patients and CML-CP patients in advanced stage were lower than that of CML- CP patients in early stage (0% and 40% vs 88.9%).
Conclusion:
STI 571 can achieve high rate of CHR and MCR in CML-CP patients, especially in those in early stage of the disease.
