[Clinical usefulness of determination of the sensitivity of myeloblastic leukemia cells to antiproliferative drugs in cell culture in vivo].

In 15 patients with acute myeloblastic leukaemia and 4 with acute myelomonocytic leukaemia the sensitivity of blast cells was determined to cytosine arabinoside and and rubidomycin in cultures in diffusion chambers implanted into irradiated mice. The degree of sensitivity of leukaemic cells to antiproliferative drugs was determined after incubating the samples with cytosar and cerubidine on the basis of blood cell count changes on the 1st, 3rd and 6th days of the culture as compared with control determinations. The results of culture tests were confronted with the clinical condition of the patients. It was found that in cultures with the cells of the patients, in whom remission was achieved the number of myeloblasts decreased after incubation with cytosar and cerubidine from the 1st or 3rd day on. In patients refractory to treatment in most determinations the number of leukaemic cells incubated in cultures with the drugs remained at the level of the values obtained in control samples or after an initial slight fall this number increased again.