1058
We thank the participants in the German multicentre trials ALL/AUL BMFT and ALL/NHL BFM for their cooperation. We thank Mrs Monika Schmidtberger, Mrs Angela Zepp, and Mrs Paulien ten Hacken for technical assistance, and Mrs Heidi Barro and Mrs Angela Jacobs for their help with the typescript. This study was supported in part by the Wilhelm-SandersStiftung, Deutsche Krebsgesellschaft (Landesverband Berlin), Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft, Deutsche Krebshilfe, Forderkreis fur tumor- und leukamiekranke Kinder Ulin, Kind Philipp-Stiftung, and Bundesministerium fur Forschung und Technologie. This work is dedicated to Prof H. D. Waller on the occasion of his 65th birthday.
REFERENCES 1. Williams DL, Harber J, Murphy SB, et al. Chromosomal translocations play a unique role in influencing prognosis in childhood acute lymphoblastic leukemia. Blood 1986; 68: 205-12. 2. Crist W, Carroll A, Schuster J, et al. Philadelphia chromosome positive childhood acute lymphoblastic leukemia: clinical and cytogenetic characteristics and treatment outcome. A pediatric oncology group study. Blood 1990; 76: 489-94.
3. Bloomfield CD, Goldman AI, Alimena G, et al. Chromosomal abnormalities identify high-risk and low-risk patients with acute lymphoblastic leukemia. Blood 1986; 67: 415-20. 4. Nowell PC, Hungerford DA. A minute chromosome in human chronic granulocytic leukemia. Science 1960; 132: 1497. 5. Gale RP, Goldman JM. Rapid progress in chronic myelogenous leukemia. Leukemia 1988; 2: 321-22. 6. Kurzrock R, Gutterman JU, Talpaz M. The molecular genetics of Philadelphia chromosome-positive leukemias. N Engl J Med 1988; 319: 990-98.
7. Berger R, Chen SJ, Chen Z. Philadelphia-positive acute leukemia. Cytogenetic and molecular aspects. Cancer Genet Cytogenet 1990; 4: 143-52.
8. Daley GQ, van Etten RA, Baltimore D. Induction of chronic myelogenous leukemia in mice by the p210bcr/abl gene of the Philadelphia chromosome. Science 1990; 247: 824-30. 9. Heisterkamp N, Jenster G, ten Hoeve J, Zovich D, Pattengale PK, Groffen J. Acute leukaemia in bcr/abl transgenic mice. Nature 1990; 344: 251-53. 10. Riehm H, Gadner H, Henze G, et al. Results and significance of six randomized trials in four consecutive ALL-BFM studies. In: Buchner T, Schellong G, Hiddemann W, Ritter J, eds. Acute leukemias II. Prognostic factors and treatment strategies. Berlin: Springer, 1990: 439-50.
11. Hoelzer D, Thiel E, Löffler H, et al. Prognostic factors in a multicenter study for treatment of acute lymphoblastic leukemia in adults. Blood
1988; 71: 123-31. 12.
Ludwig WD, Bartram CR, Ritter J, et al. Ambiguous phenotypes and genotypes as characterized by multiparameter analysis. Blood 1988; 71:
1518-28. 13. Thiel E, Kranz BR, Raghavachar A, et al. Prethymic phenotype and genotype of pre-T (CD7+/ER-)-cell leukemia and its clinical significance within adult acute lymphoblastic leukemia. Blood 1989; 73: 1247-58. 14. van Denderen J, van der Plas D, Meeuwsen T, et al. Immunologic characterization of the tumor-specific bcr-abl junction in Philadelphia chromosome-positive acute lymphoblastic leukemia. Blood 1990; 76: 136-41. 15. de Klein A, Hagemeijer A, Bartram CR, et al. BCR rearrangement and translocation of the c-abl oncogene in Philadelphia positive acute lymphoblastic leukemia. Blood 1986; 68: 1369-75. 16. Hermans A, Gow J, Selleri L, et al. bcr-abl oncogene activation in Philadelphia chromosome-positive acute lymphoblastic leukemia. Leukemia 1988; 2: 628-33. 17. Kawasaki ES, Clark SS, Coyne MY, et al. Diagnosis of chronic myeloid acute lymphoblastic leukemias by detection of leukemia-specific mRNA sequences amplified in vitro. Proc Natl Acad Sci USA 1988; 85: 5698-702. 18. Kwok S, Higuchi R. Avoiding false positives with PCR. Nature 1989; 339: 237-38. 19. Lee MS, Le Maistre A, Kantarjian HM, et al. Detection of two alternative bcr/abl mRNA junctions and minimal residual disease in Philadelphia chromosome positive chronic myelogenous leukemia by polymerase chain reaction. Blood 1989; 73: 2165-70. 20. Riehm H, Reiter A, Schrappe M, Henze G, Schellong G. Die Corticosteroid-abhängige Dezimierung der Leukämiezellzahl im Blut als Prognosefaktor bei der akuten lymphoblastischen Leukamie im Kindesalter (Therapiestudie ALL-BFM 83). Klin Padiatrie 1987; 199: 151-60. 21. Lugo TG, Pendergast AM, Muller AJ, Witte ON. Tyrosine kinase activity and transformation potency of bcr-abl oncogene products. Science 1990; 247: 1079-82. 22. Seeker-Walker LM, Cooke HGM, Browett PJ, et al. Variable Philadelphia breakpoints and potential lineage restriction of bcr rearrangement in acute lymphoblastic leukemia. Blood 1988; 72: 784-91. 23. Williams DL, Raimondi S, Rivera G, George S, Berard CN, Murphy SB. Presence of clonal chromosome abnormalities in virtually all cases of acute lymphoblastic leukemia. N Engl J Med 1985; 313: 640.
Ribavirin treatment for chronic hepatitis C
We evaluated oral ribavirin as therapy for chronic hepatitis C infection in a pilot study including 10 patients. Patients (7 men, 3 women; mean age 40 years, range 23-54) all had biopsy-proven chronic non-A, non-B hepatitis and were repeatedly positive for antibodies to hepatitis C virus. Treatment was with oral ribavirin 1000-1200 mg per day in two divided doses for 12 weeks. The median serum alanine aminotransferase concentration for all patients at enrolment was 3·15 µkat/l (range 1·227·79) and decreased significantly (p
We thank the participants in the German multicentre trials ALL/AUL BMFT and ALL/NHL BFM for their cooperation. We thank Mrs Monika Schmidtberger, Mrs Angela Zepp, and Mrs Paulien ten Hacken for technical assistance, and Mrs Heidi Barro and Mrs Angela Jacobs for their help with the typescript. This study was supported in part by the Wilhelm-SandersStiftung, Deutsche Krebsgesellschaft (Landesverband Berlin), Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft, Deutsche Krebshilfe, Forderkreis fur tumor- und leukamiekranke Kinder Ulin, Kind Philipp-Stiftung, and Bundesministerium fur Forschung und Technologie. This work is dedicated to Prof H. D. Waller on the occasion of his 65th birthday.
REFERENCES 1. Williams DL, Harber J, Murphy SB, et al. Chromosomal translocations play a unique role in influencing prognosis in childhood acute lymphoblastic leukemia. Blood 1986; 68: 205-12. 2. Crist W, Carroll A, Schuster J, et al. Philadelphia chromosome positive childhood acute lymphoblastic leukemia: clinical and cytogenetic characteristics and treatment outcome. A pediatric oncology group study. Blood 1990; 76: 489-94.
3. Bloomfield CD, Goldman AI, Alimena G, et al. Chromosomal abnormalities identify high-risk and low-risk patients with acute lymphoblastic leukemia. Blood 1986; 67: 415-20. 4. Nowell PC, Hungerford DA. A minute chromosome in human chronic granulocytic leukemia. Science 1960; 132: 1497. 5. Gale RP, Goldman JM. Rapid progress in chronic myelogenous leukemia. Leukemia 1988; 2: 321-22. 6. Kurzrock R, Gutterman JU, Talpaz M. The molecular genetics of Philadelphia chromosome-positive leukemias. N Engl J Med 1988; 319: 990-98.
7. Berger R, Chen SJ, Chen Z. Philadelphia-positive acute leukemia. Cytogenetic and molecular aspects. Cancer Genet Cytogenet 1990; 4: 143-52.
8. Daley GQ, van Etten RA, Baltimore D. Induction of chronic myelogenous leukemia in mice by the p210bcr/abl gene of the Philadelphia chromosome. Science 1990; 247: 824-30. 9. Heisterkamp N, Jenster G, ten Hoeve J, Zovich D, Pattengale PK, Groffen J. Acute leukaemia in bcr/abl transgenic mice. Nature 1990; 344: 251-53. 10. Riehm H, Gadner H, Henze G, et al. Results and significance of six randomized trials in four consecutive ALL-BFM studies. In: Buchner T, Schellong G, Hiddemann W, Ritter J, eds. Acute leukemias II. Prognostic factors and treatment strategies. Berlin: Springer, 1990: 439-50.
11. Hoelzer D, Thiel E, Löffler H, et al. Prognostic factors in a multicenter study for treatment of acute lymphoblastic leukemia in adults. Blood
1988; 71: 123-31. 12.
Ludwig WD, Bartram CR, Ritter J, et al. Ambiguous phenotypes and genotypes as characterized by multiparameter analysis. Blood 1988; 71:
1518-28. 13. Thiel E, Kranz BR, Raghavachar A, et al. Prethymic phenotype and genotype of pre-T (CD7+/ER-)-cell leukemia and its clinical significance within adult acute lymphoblastic leukemia. Blood 1989; 73: 1247-58. 14. van Denderen J, van der Plas D, Meeuwsen T, et al. Immunologic characterization of the tumor-specific bcr-abl junction in Philadelphia chromosome-positive acute lymphoblastic leukemia. Blood 1990; 76: 136-41. 15. de Klein A, Hagemeijer A, Bartram CR, et al. BCR rearrangement and translocation of the c-abl oncogene in Philadelphia positive acute lymphoblastic leukemia. Blood 1986; 68: 1369-75. 16. Hermans A, Gow J, Selleri L, et al. bcr-abl oncogene activation in Philadelphia chromosome-positive acute lymphoblastic leukemia. Leukemia 1988; 2: 628-33. 17. Kawasaki ES, Clark SS, Coyne MY, et al. Diagnosis of chronic myeloid acute lymphoblastic leukemias by detection of leukemia-specific mRNA sequences amplified in vitro. Proc Natl Acad Sci USA 1988; 85: 5698-702. 18. Kwok S, Higuchi R. Avoiding false positives with PCR. Nature 1989; 339: 237-38. 19. Lee MS, Le Maistre A, Kantarjian HM, et al. Detection of two alternative bcr/abl mRNA junctions and minimal residual disease in Philadelphia chromosome positive chronic myelogenous leukemia by polymerase chain reaction. Blood 1989; 73: 2165-70. 20. Riehm H, Reiter A, Schrappe M, Henze G, Schellong G. Die Corticosteroid-abhängige Dezimierung der Leukämiezellzahl im Blut als Prognosefaktor bei der akuten lymphoblastischen Leukamie im Kindesalter (Therapiestudie ALL-BFM 83). Klin Padiatrie 1987; 199: 151-60. 21. Lugo TG, Pendergast AM, Muller AJ, Witte ON. Tyrosine kinase activity and transformation potency of bcr-abl oncogene products. Science 1990; 247: 1079-82. 22. Seeker-Walker LM, Cooke HGM, Browett PJ, et al. Variable Philadelphia breakpoints and potential lineage restriction of bcr rearrangement in acute lymphoblastic leukemia. Blood 1988; 72: 784-91. 23. Williams DL, Raimondi S, Rivera G, George S, Berard CN, Murphy SB. Presence of clonal chromosome abnormalities in virtually all cases of acute lymphoblastic leukemia. N Engl J Med 1985; 313: 640.
Ribavirin treatment for chronic hepatitis C
We evaluated oral ribavirin as therapy for chronic hepatitis C infection in a pilot study including 10 patients. Patients (7 men, 3 women; mean age 40 years, range 23-54) all had biopsy-proven chronic non-A, non-B hepatitis and were repeatedly positive for antibodies to hepatitis C virus. Treatment was with oral ribavirin 1000-1200 mg per day in two divided doses for 12 weeks. The median serum alanine aminotransferase concentration for all patients at enrolment was 3·15 µkat/l (range 1·227·79) and decreased significantly (p
