Significance of glucocorticoid receptors and responses in leukaemia

Glucocorticoid receptor levels and cellular responses to glucocorticoid treatment in vitro were evaluated for the malignant cells from patients with leukaemia. Cells from all cases of lymphoid and myeloid leukaemia contained glucocorticoid receptors; receptor levels and the extent of in vitro responses appeared to depend primarily on cell type and differentiation status. For acute lymphoblastic leukaemia (ALL), high receptor levels were associated with the common ALL phenotype, intermediate levels with null (unclassified) ALL and low levels with T-ALL. Considerable variation in receptor levels and in responses in vitro was observed for acute myeloid leukaemia; receptor levels measured by whole-cell assay did not relate to patient survival.