[Application of flow cytometry to the study of hematologic disorders: analysis of oncogene products]

Flow cytometry (FCM) is a useful method for clinical research of oncogene products since it can analyze proteins quantitatively which are located at cell surfaces or inside of cells. Oncogene products are now under study by FCM not only as tumor markers but also as functioning proteins in carcinogenesis. The examples of oncogene products analyzed by FCM are ras, myc, p53, myb and fos; those of cell-proliferation-related proteins are Ki-67, PCNA and DNA polymerase alpha. In some diseases the relationship between these proteins and disease classification, stage, pathophysiology, or prognosis have been clarified. Using dual color FCM of H-ras p21 and DNA, we analyzed the expression of H-ras p21 in human multiple myeloma and leukemias and found that H-ras p21 levels in multiple myeloma strongly correlated to the prognosis of patients (p = 0.03). When AML cells were stimulated by adding G-CSF, it was found that many cells proliferated but some were dying. The percentage of dying cells was small in one AML case whose myeloblasts showed increased expression of H-ras p21 by G-CSF stimulation. Together with other papers reviewed, it is conceivable that H-ras p21 expression is related to cell proliferation and inhibition of cell autolysis. Thus FCM is useful in the classification of the role of oncogene products in carcinogenesis in clinical cases.