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R Repp

Publications and source records attributed to R Repp.

At least 73 records · Page 4Linked to original sources
PubMed1995

Rapid synthesis of hybrid RNA molecules associated with leukemia-specific chromosomal translocations.

A number of gene arrangements have been described as characteristic abnormalities associated with different types of leukemia, and this list is still growing. In view of the biological, clinical and prognostic relevance of the pathological fusion products, techniques permitting their detection are of paramount importance in the clinical setting. In some instances, permanent leukemic cell lines carrying the abnormality of interest are available for the establishment and standardization of molecular assays. For a number of newly discovered gene rearrangements, however, this may not be the case. It is therefore of great interest for clinical laboratories to have alternative technical possibilities for the set-up of standardized molecular tests. This problem provided the stimulus to design a simple and rapid method for in vitro generation of chimeric RNA molecules corresponding to pathological fusion transcripts typical for chromosomal translocations in leukemias. Two separate fragments are generated in a four-primer multiplex PCR. Due to a PCR-generated overlap, a chimeric fragment can be synthesized in a second round of PCR. This PCR product is then purified with the help of magnetic beads. Due to the SP6 promotor sequence incorporated during the second round of PCR, transcription into RNA is easily facilitated while the template DNA is still bound to the solid phase. Following this strategy we were able to synthesize the fusion transcripts m-BCR/ABL, CBF beta/MYH11, and MLL/AFp1 which are the molecular equivalents of t(9;22)(q34,q11), inv16(p13;q22) and t(1;11)(p32;q23), respectively. The chimeric RNA will be useful as a control template in diagnostic RT-PCR strategies. It can also be further processed in translation systems leading to the corresponding chimeric oncoprotein. This approach can be easily used to create any hybrid RNA of interest.

Base Sequence↗
PubMed1995

Detection of four different 11q23 chromosomal abnormalities by multiplex-PCR and fluorescence-based automatic DNA-fragment analysis.

A nested polymerase chain reaction (PCR) protocol was developed for rapid detection of four different 11q23 abnormalities by a single PCR assay. During each of the two PCR rounds a sense primer located within exon 5 of the MLL gene at 11q23 was combined with four different antisense primers, each located within possible translocation partner genes at chromosomes 4, 6, 9, and 19, respectively. Except for the MLL primer all primers used during the second round of nested-PCR carried a characteristic fluorescence label at their 5'-end. Agarose gel analysis of the PCR products was sufficient to discriminate between the absence of any of the four MLL rearrangements and the presence of at least one of them. Discrimination of the four different MLL translocation partner genes was not possible by agarose gel analysis due to a molecular heterogeneity of the 11q23 breakpoints resulting in PCR products of variable size. For this reason, automatic fluorescence-based DNA-fragment analysis was used to exactly define the MLL translocation partner genes if a positive result had been obtained by agarose gel analysis. In patients with leukemia, this assay may enable a fast and highly sensitive detection of different 11q23 abnormalities, which usually correlate with poor clinical prognosis.

Base Sequence↗
PubMed1994

Pre-pre-B acute lymphoblastic leukemia: high frequency of alternatively spliced ALL1-AF4 transcripts and absence of minimal residual disease during complete remission.

We used the polymerase chain reaction (PCR) to detect ALL1-AF4 rearrangements, the molecular hallmark of t(4;11) in a series of 46 pre-pre-B (CD19+, CD24+, CD10/CD20/cylgM/sIgM-) acute lymphoblastic leukemias (ALL). Eighteen patients (39%) exhibited fusion transcripts including 4 of 12 children and 14 of 34 adults. This genetic defect was associated with hyperleukocytosis (median leukocyte count 176 x 10(9)/L) and expression of myeloid-associated antigens (CDw65+). In contrast, only two patients from a group of 67 common (CD19/CD10+, cylgM/sIgM-) and pre-B ALLs (CD19/cylgM+, CD10 +/-, sIgM-) showed ALL1-AF4 mRNA. All PCR-positive cases showed multiple amplification products representing alternative splicing events. Moreover, reciprocal der (4)-derived AF4-ALL1 transcripts were observed in 65% of the cases analyzed. Eight of the 18 pre-pre-B ALL patients with an ALL1-AF4 recombination are currently in complete continuous remission for up to 54 months (median, 26 months). Twelve remission samples were available from seven cases, and all of them lacked evidence of minimal residual disease. Overall this study documents a similarly high incidence of ALL1-AF4 recombinations in children (infants excluded) and adults with pre-pre-B ALL and demonstrates the decline of the leukemic cell clone below the detection level of PCR in a remarkable proportion of patients under intense treatment protocols.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1994

Detection of soft-tissue infections and osteomyelitis using a technetium-99m-labeled anti-granulocyte monoclonal antibody fragment.

UNLABELLED: Imaging of osteomyelitis and soft-tissue infections can be problematic with currently available agents; bone scans are often false-positive. Indium-111-oxine and 99mTc-HMPAO white blood cell (WBC) scans require ex vivo handling of blood with potential exposure to infectious agents, and 99mTc-antigranulocyte (IgG1) antibodies need 24 hr for final diagnosis. METHODS: We investigated the use of 99mTc-murine anti-granulocyte monoclonal Fab' fragment in 20 patients with suspected osteomyelitis of soft-tissue infections. All patients also had 99mTc bone scans and 111In-oxine or 99mTc-HMPAO white blood cell scans. The final diagnosis was confirmed by culture, biopsy, surgery, follow-up, x-rays, CT or MRI. In vitro studies performed on granulocytes demonstrated no effect on their function when the anti-granulocyte monoclonal antibody fragment was added. RESULTS: Sensitivity, specificity and diagnostic accuracy to detect infection was 88%, 75% and 80%, respectively. All lesions could be detected as early as 1 hr after injection of the antibody fragment. In comparison, WBC scanning had values of 86%, 78% and 81%, respectively. Some lesions could only be detected 24 hr following the injection of labeled WBCs. LeukoScan had three false-positives and WBC scanning had two false-positives. CONCLUSIONS: Immunoscintigraphy with 99mTc-NCA-90 Fab' fragments offers rapid localization of foci, rapid and simple use, a negligible HAMA response rate, no effect on granulocyte function and an accuracy comparable to WBC scanning.

Adult↗
PubMed1994

Molecular analysis of MLL-1/AF4 recombination in infant acute lymphoblastic leukemia.

We examined ten cases of acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) in infants (less than 1 year of age) by RT-nested PCR for a MLL-1/AF4 rearrangement. Five patients revealed a positive result. The specific PCR product differed in size from approximately 380-670 bp indicating various splicing variants in the MLL-1/AF4 rearrangement. Three patients had a fusion between exon 6 of the MLL-1 gene and codon 362 of the known AF4 cDNA sequence. Moreover, in two patients more than one specific PCR product was detected, possibly due to alternative splicing. In the first case, sequencing of these products revealed a hybrid mRNA consisting of MLI-1 exon 7 or exon 8, respectively, fused to the AF4 gene at codon 348. In the second case with alternative splicing, again, exon 7 or 8 of the MLL-1 gene were fused to the AF4 gene as in case 1. The AF4 sequence involved in this patient, however, started at codon 362. The AF4 break was, therefore, identical to the three MLL-1/AF4 positive patients as described above. Moreover, we investigated all ten patients for the reciprocal mRNA transcript AF4/MLL-1 by a similar PCR approach. In none of these patients, including the five MLL-1/AF4 positive cases was a specific PCR product obtained. However, in the MV411 cell line bearing a t(4;11), which served as a positive control in our MLL-1/AF4-PCR assay, the reciprocal AF4/MLL-1 mRNA was detected. Our results indicate that a MLL-1/AF4 rearrangement occurs in about 50% of infants with ALL. In contrast, the reciprocal hybrid mRNA can only rarely be detected, if at all.

Base Sequence↗
PubMed1993

Involvement of the high-affinity receptor for IgG (Fc gamma RI; CD64) in enhanced tumor cell cytotoxicity of neutrophils during granulocyte colony-stimulating factor therapy.

Three different classes of Fc receptors for IgG (Fc gamma R) are currently distinguished in humans, of which polymorphonuclear phagocytes (PMN) normally express both low-affinity receptor classes--Fc gamma RII (CD32) and Fc gamma RIII (CD16). During therapy with granulocyte colony-stimulating factor (G-CSF), neutrophils from patients with various malignancies and different hematologic disorders were found to additionally express high levels of the receptor with high affinity for IgG (Fc gamma RI; CD64). For these patients, the relative fluorescence intensity (rFI) for Fc gamma RI was 5.3 (range, 1.7 to 10.3; n = 19), compared with 1.0 (range, 1.0 to 1.1; n = 8) for healthy donors. The expression of Fc gamma RI during G-CSF therapy could be confirmed by using a panel of six CD64-specific antibodies, and by showing mRNA for Fc gamma RI. So far, three genes for Fc gamma RI have been identified, encoding four distinct transcription products. By reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction technology, transcripts for both membrane-associated isoforms (hFc gamma RIa and hFc gamma RIb2) could be detected. The functional activity of Fc gamma RI on PMN during G-CSF therapy was shown by measuring binding of monomeric human IgG and antibody-dependent cellular cytotoxicity (ADCC). Thus, Fc gamma RI-positive neutrophils displayed enhanced ADCC activity to glioma (A1207), squamous cell (A431), and ovarian (SK-ov3) carcinoma cell lines. The involvement of Fc gamma RI in this increased cytotoxic activity was shown by blocking Fc gamma receptors with monoclonal antibodies, and by using F(ab')2 x F(ab')2-bispecific antibodies with specificities against tumor-related antigens and Fc gamma RI, resulting in solely Fc gamma RI-mediated cytotoxicity. Therapeutically, this additional Fc receptor on PMN may increase the efficacy of experimental antibody therapy.

Antibody-Dependent Cell Cytotoxicity↗
PubMed1993

Clinical and immunological aspects of hepatitis B virus infection in children receiving multidrug cancer chemotherapy.

For two reasons hepatitis B virus infection is an important problem in patients with cancer. First, multidrug cancer chemotherapy may reactivate or worsen a previously benign chronic HBV infection. Second, patients undergoing cancer chemotherapy are at an increased risk of acquiring and spreading HBV which may result in an endemic infection. HBV reactivation may precipitate into a severe acute disease including fulminant hepatitis. In contrast, the acquisition of HBV during cancer chemotherapy commonly takes a mild clinical course but frequently leads to persistently high viremia. This state of immunotolerance to viral antigens allows viral replication without any sign of liver cell destruction. Withdrawal of chemotherapy does not cause significant changes if infection occurred during cytotoxic chemotherapy. Infection with HBV during cancer chemotherapy, therefore, may be considered as a model of an induced antigen-specific immunotolerance. In agreement with this hypothesis, vaccination against HBV during cancer chemotherapy does not prevent spread of HBV in oncology wards as it does not produce significant anti-HBs titers. Furthermore, vaccination even suppresses the immune response to later booster doses after chemotherapy has been withdrawn.

Antineoplastic Agents↗
PubMed1993

Identification of a new hepatitis B virus (HBV) genotype from Brazil that expresses HBV surface antigen subtype adw4.

The complete genome of a hepatitis B virus (HBV) from Brazil that expressed the subtype adw4 of HBV surface antigen (HBsAg) was cloned and sequenced. The genome, termed w4B, consists of 3215 bp. The overall genetic organization of typical hepadnaviruses with four open reading frames including the preC region was found to be conserved. When comparing the w4B sequence with 19 complete HBV genomes it was, however, found to be more divergent (15%) than any other HBV sequence thus far reported. Until now, no more than 11% divergence has been reported. Distinct from the five known HBV genotypes A to E, w4B made up a new, sixth genotype. The importance of the conserved third start codon in the HBV X gene became apparent in isolate w4B. By mutation, this ATG was out of frame, and by what appears to have been a linked mutation, a new start site two codons downstream was re-established. The significance of several other mutations is discussed.

Amino Acid Sequence↗
PubMed1993

BCR-ABL rearrangement in a child with acute myelogenous leukaemia without a Philadelphia chromosome.

We describe a BCR/ABL rearrangement positive but Philadelphia chromosome negative status in a 9-year-old boy suffering from an acute myelogenous leukaemia (AML). This case was detected in a prospective PCR screening procedure including 21 children with newly diagnosed AML and 150 children with acute lymphoblastic leukaemia (ALL). We found a 5.4% incidence of BCR/ABL rearrangement positive cases in pre-B and c-ALL in childhood.

Child↗
PubMed1993

Quantification of leukaemic cells based on heteroduplex formation of tal-1 gene sequences after PCR coamplification.

Based on the high sensitivity of the polymerase chain reaction (PCR) several assays have already been described which can be applied to monitor minimal residual disease in patients with leukaemia. However, most of these approaches are only qualitative or semiquantitative at best. Moreover, the semiquantitative assays require rather large-scale procedures such as oligonucleotide hybridization or sampling of aliquots during the exponential phase of PCR amplification, which is time consuming and may be error prone. Using the deletion in the tal-1 gene as a clonal marker of malignant cells, which can be found in about 10-25% of T-cell acute lymphoblastic leukaemia, we have developed a rapid and simple PCR assay for the quantification of residual leukaemic cells. The assay is based on heteroduplex formation between standard and template DNA sequences after coamplification of both DNA sequences in the same PCR reaction. The sensitivity of this PCR approach allows the detection of neoplastic cells at frequency of at least 10(-4). Application of such an assay needs not to be restricted to patients harbouring a tal-1 gene deletion. It may easily be adapted to other clonal DNA markers of blast cells and therefore facilitate monitoring of minimal residual disease in many different kinds of leukaemia.

Base Sequence↗
PubMed1993

Genotyping by multiplex polymerase chain reaction for detection of endemic hepatitis B virus transmission.

A nested polymerase chain reaction (PCR) protocol was developed for rapid genotyping of hepatitis B virus (HBV). During the first PCR round, a universal HBV primer pair was used to amplify the entire pre-S region of the HBV genome. Within the pre-S region, many nucleotide exchanges are observed. These are partly correlated to the serological hepatitis B surface antigen subtypes. Five additional subtype-specific primers were selected from that region which, together with two universal non-group-specific primers, generated specific combinations of two to four DNA fragments of defined sizes. By this approach, 55 hepatitis B surface antigen-positive patients from a pediatric oncology unit in Germany were analyzed. Fifty-four patients who had been infected within 2 years had an identical pattern in the multiplex PCR, suggesting a common source of infection and person-to-person transmission within the unit. One child who was infected 5 years later had a different PCR pattern and, therefore, must have been infected from a different source. Furthermore, 109 serum samples taken from pregnant Cameroonian women and 25 serum samples from their babies taken 6 months after birth were analyzed. In one case, mother-to-infant transmission of the virus was demonstrated. Apart from its role in epidemiological studies on HBV, multiplex PCR may also be a useful tool for rapid genetic analysis in other fields if there is a moderate degree of sequence variation which enables the design of specific primers.

Base Sequence↗
PubMed1993

[Risk of hepatitis B virus transmission by highly viremic chronic carriers in schools].

To determine the frequency of hepatitis B virus (HBV) transmission by hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg) carriers in school classes 44 highly viremic children were examined over an average period of 5 years. All these HBsAg carriers had been infected with the virus in a hospital endemia during treatment for childhood malignancies. They have been continuously positive for HBeAg with very high HBV-DNA titers of more than 10(8) viral genomes/ml serum. Due to data protection reasons no serologic tests could be done in these school classes. Therefore, the patients and their parents were asked to fill in a questionnaire about any cases of hepatitis in the school classes during the study period. These results were compared with the hepatitis B registrations in the records of the public health offices. No differences were found between the two sources of data. In the school classes of the HBsAg carriers the incidence of hepatitis cases was 0.3 per 1000 pupils per year, which is not different from the hepatitis B morbidity within the general population. Therefore, there is no reason to impose any restrictions on HBsAg carriers in school. In contrast, several cases of HBV transmissions occurred to non-vaccinated family members of the HBV carriers.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1992

Detection of transcriptionally active hepatitis B virus DNA in peripheral mononuclear blood cells after infection during immunosuppressive chemotherapy using the polymerase chain reaction.

Using PCR we have studied mononuclear peripheral blood leucocytes (PMBLs) from HBV-infected immunosuppressed patients in order to detect the presence of HBV genomes. Our results indicate that non-transient PMBL infection is common in immunotolerant carriers. In addition, the presence of pregenomic mRNA sequences suggests that virus replication may take place in PMBLs, possibly implicating the latter as a source of virus after replication has ceased in the liver.

Adolescent↗