@article{ProetelPletschLausekeretal.2014, author = {Proetel, Ulrike and Pletsch, Nadine and Lauseker, Michael and M{\"u}ller, Martin C. and Hanfstein, Benjamin and Krause, Stefan W. and Kalmanti, Lida and Schreiber, Annette and Heim, Dominik and Baerlocher, Gabriela M. and Hofmann, Wolf-Karsten and Lange, Elisabeth and Einsele, Hermann and Wernli, Martin and Kremers, Stephan and Schlag, Rudolf and M{\"u}ller, Lothar and H{\"a}nel, Mathias and Link, Hartmut and Hertenstein, Bernd and Pfirrmann, Markus and Hochhaus, Andreas and Hasford, Joerg and Hehlmann, R{\"u}diger and Saußele, Susanne}, title = {Older patients with chronic myeloid leukemia (≥65 years) profit more from higher imatinib doses than younger patients: a subanalysis of the randomized CML-Study IV}, series = {Annals of Hematology}, volume = {93}, journal = {Annals of Hematology}, number = {7}, issn = {0939-5555}, doi = {10.1007/s00277-014-2041-0}, url = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-121574}, pages = {1167-76}, year = {2014}, abstract = {The impact of imatinib dose on response rates and survival in older patients with chronic myeloid leukemia in chronic phase has not been studied well. We analyzed data from the German CML-Study IV, a randomized five-arm treatment optimization study in newly diagnosed BCR-ABL-positive chronic myeloid leukemia in chronic phase. Patients randomized to imatinib 400 mg/day (IM400) or imatinib 800 mg/day (IM800) and stratified according to age (≥65 years vs. <65 years) were compared regarding dose, response, adverse events, rates of progression, and survival. The full 800 mg dose was given after a 6-week run-in period with imatinib 400 mg/day. The dose could then be reduced according to tolerability. A total of 828 patients were randomized to IM400 or IM800. Seven hundred eighty-four patients were evaluable (IM400, 382; IM800, 402). One hundred ten patients (29 \%) on IM400 and 83 (21 \%) on IM800 were ≥65 years. The median dose per day was lower for patients ≥65 years on IM800, with the highest median dose in the first year (466 mg/day for patients ≥65 years vs. 630 mg/day for patients <65 years). Older patients on IM800 achieved major molecular remission and deep molecular remission as fast as younger patients, in contrast to standard dose imatinib with which older patients achieved remissions much later than younger patients. Grades 3 and 4 adverse events were similar in both age groups. Five-year relative survival for older patients was comparable to that of younger patients. We suggest that the optimal dose for older patients is higher than 400 mg/day. ClinicalTrials.gov identifier: NCT00055874}, language = {en} } @article{FrietschKastnerGrunewaldetal.2014, author = {Frietsch, Jochen J. and Kastner, Carolin and Grunewald, Thomas G.P. and Schweigel, Hardy and Nollau, Peter and Ziermann, Janine and Clement, Joachim H. and La Res{\´e}e, Paul and Hochhaus, Andreas and Butt, Elke}, title = {LASP1 is a novel BCR-ABL substrate and a phosphorylation-dependent binding partner of CRKL in chronic myeloid leukemia}, series = {Oncotarget}, volume = {5}, journal = {Oncotarget}, number = {14}, issn = {1949-2553}, url = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-120639}, pages = {5257-71}, year = {2014}, abstract = {Chronic myeloid leukemia (CML) is characterized by a genomic translocation generating a permanently active BCR-ABL oncogene with a complex pattern of atypically tyrosine-phosphorylated proteins that drive the malignant phenotype of CML. Recently, the LIM and SH3 domain protein 1 (LASP1) was identified as a component of a six gene signature that is strongly predictive for disease progression and relapse in CML patients. However, the underlying mechanisms why LASP1 expression correlates with dismal outcome remained unresolved. Here, we identified LASP1 as a novel and overexpressed direct substrate of BCR-ABL in CML. We demonstrate that LASP1 is specifically phosphorylated by BCR-ABL at tyrosine-171 in CML patients, which is abolished by tyrosine kinase inhibitor therapy. Further studies revealed that LASP1 phosphorylation results in an association with CRKL - another specific BCR-ABL substrate and bona fide biomarker for BCR-ABL activity. pLASP1-Y171 binds to non-phosphorylated CRKL at its SH2 domain. Accordingly, the BCR-ABL-mediated pathophysiological hyper-phosphorylation of LASP1 in CML disrupts normal regulation of CRKL and LASP1, which likely has implications on downstream BCR-ABL signaling. Collectively, our results suggest that LASP1 phosphorylation might serve as an additional candidate biomarker for assessment of BCR-ABL activity and provide a first step toward a molecular understanding of LASP1 function in CML.}, language = {en} } @article{HanfsteinLausekerHehlmannetal.2014, author = {Hanfstein, Benjamin and Lauseker, Michael and Hehlmann, R{\"u}diger and Saussele, Susanne and Erben, Philipp and Dietz, Christian and Fabarius, Alice and Proetel, Ulrike and Schnittger, Susanne and Haferlach, Claudia and Krause, Stefan W. and Schubert, J{\"o}rg and Einsele, Hermann and H{\"a}nel, Mathias and Dengler, Jolanta and Falge, Christiane and Kanz, Lothar and Neubauer, Andreas and Kneba, Michael and Stengelmann, Frank and Pfreundschuh, Michael and Waller, Cornelius F. and Spiekerman, Karsten and Baerlocher, Gabriela M. and Pfirrmann, Markus and Hasford, Joerg and Hofmann, Wolf-Karsten and Hochhaus, Andreas and M{\"u}ller, Martin C.}, title = {Distinct characteristics of e13a2 versus e14a2 BCR-ABL1 driven chronic myeloid leukemia under first-line therapy with imatinib}, series = {Haematologica}, volume = {99}, journal = {Haematologica}, number = {9}, issn = {1592-8721}, doi = {10.3324/haematol.2013.096537}, url = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-115476}, pages = {1441-1447}, year = {2014}, abstract = {The vast majority of chronic myeloid leukemia patients express a BCR-ABL1 fusion gene mRNA encoding a 210 kDa tyrosine kinase which promotes leukemic transformation. A possible differential impact of the corresponding BCR-ABL1 transcript variants e13a2 ("b2a2") and e14a2 ("b3a2") on disease phenotype and outcome is still a subject of debate. A total of 1105 newly diagnosed imatinib-treated patients were analyzed according to transcript type at diagnosis (e13a2, n=451; e14a2, n=496; e13a2+e14a2, n=158). No differences regarding age, sex, or Euro risk score were observed. A significant difference was found between e13a2 and e14a2 when comparing white blood cells (88 vs. 65 x 10(9)/L, respectively; P<0.001) and platelets (296 vs. 430 x 109/L, respectively; P<0.001) at diagnosis, indicating a distinct disease phenotype. No significant difference was observed regarding other hematologic features, including spleen size and hematologic adverse events, during imatinib-based therapies. Cumulative molecular response was inferior in e13a2 patients (P=0.002 for major molecular response; P<0.001 for MR4). No difference was observed with regard to cytogenetic response and overall survival. In conclusion, e13a2 and e14a2 chronic myeloid leukemia seem to represent distinct biological entities. However, clinical outcome under imatinib treatment was comparable and no risk prediction can be made according to e13a2 versus e14a2 BCR-ABL1 transcript type at diagnosis. (clinicaltrials.gov identifier: 00055874)}, language = {en} }