Acute Promyelocytic Leukaemia

Acute promyelocytic leukaemia (A.P.L.) is a rare but important type of acute myeloid leukaemia characterized by major bleeding in association with thrombocytopenia, a specific peripheral blood and bone marrow picture, low plasma fibrinogen, and the presence in the serum of fibrin degradation products. These last abnormalities are related to the disseminated intravascular consumption of coagulation factors with secondary fibrinolysis. A.P.L. requires early recognition and urgent treatment. With optimal management up to half of the patients may achieve complete remission of two years or more. Undoubtedly patients with A.P.L. do especially well when treated in special centres and some patients with A.P.L. now die before the nature of their disease is recognized. Increased familiarity with the problem, which has been known for nearly 20 years, should yield great dividends for those few patients who have this disease.     

Combination Chemotherapy using L-Asparaginase,Daunorubicin, and Cytosine Arabinoside in Adults with Acute Myelogenous Leukaemia

Cytosine arabinoside and daunorubicin used in an intensive intermittent regimen have been shown to be an effective combination for the induction of complete remissions in 14 out of 23 adult patients with acute myelogenous leukaemia. This gives an overall complete remission rate of 60%. A further patient had a good partial remission. The addition of L-asparaginase to the regimen has not increased the incidence of remission and there were more side effects in the L-asparaginasetreated group. Of the 10 patients treated with L-asparaginase in addition to cytosine arabinoside and daunorubicin, five achieved a complete remission. Of the 13 patients treated with cytosine arabinoside and daunorubicin without L-asparaginase, nine achieved a complete remission and one a good partial remission.     

Dermatoglyphics in Children with Acute Leukaemia

The dermatoglyphics of 135 children with acute leukaemia differed significantly from those of normal controls, and examination of 174 of the patients'' first degree relatives indicated that familial factors were involved. The findings suggested that within the racial group studied dermatoglyphics may partly identify a population subgroup which is at increased risk of leukaemogenesis. While these observations may not have immediate clinical application, they are likely to contribute to a greater understanding of individuals who have increased constitutional susceptibility to leukaemia.     

Hyponatraemia Syndrome in Acute Myeloid Leukaemia

Hyponatraemia was observed in 11 out of 14 consecutive patients with acute myeloid leukaemia and its variants. Metabolic studies on these patients revealed an early increase in the urinary sodium excretion, negative free water clearance, and urine osmolality inappropriately higher than that of the serum. It is postulated that this syndrome is caused by a substance released from the primitive cells of the abnormal myeloid series.     

Adriamycin in the Treatment of Acute Leukaemia

In a preliminary study a new antitumour antibiotic, adriamycin, was found to be capable of inducing complete remission in 6 out of 17 patients with acute lymphoblastic leukaemia and in one out of four with lymphoblastic lymphosarcoma despite the fact that these patients had either failed to respond or had relapsed after chemotherapy with agents recognized to be potentially successful in each condition. In five cases of acute lymphoblastic leukaemia adriamycin was used in combination with cytosine arabinoside—three achieved complete remission and two good partial remissions. This combination seems to merit further study in patients who have relapsed on the more conventional chemotherapeutic regimens in acute lymphoblastic leukaemia.In 13 patients with acute myelogenous leukaemia previously treated with daunorubicin and cytosine arabinoside no remissions were obtained with the dose range used.