Elevated Serum Nerve Growth Factor (NGF) levels in patients with acute leukemia and lymphoma especially with CNS involvement

Abstract number: CD105

Elbaz O., Mansour A., Fouda M., Abo Elfetoh N.

Faculty of Medicine, Egypt

NGF is a member of the family of proteins known as neurotrophins, which are essential for development & survival of neuronal cells. NGF also displays a varity of effects on cells of immunological and hematological cell lineage. We measured serum NGF concentrations by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay in 24 patients with acute leukemia (16 had acute myeloblastic leukemia [AML], and 8 had acute lymphoblastic leukemia [ALL]), and 16 patients with lymphoma (9 had non-Hodgkin's lymphoma [NHL], and 7 had Hodgkin's disease [HD]). At the diagnosis of leukemia, all patients had significant elevated serum NGF levels (M ± SD = 132.5 ± 40.9 pg mL^-1 for AML, and 122.2 ± 46.8 pg mL^-1 for ALL) in respect of normal reference group (21.9 ± 6.3 pg mL^-1). In patients with lymphoma, NGF had also elevated, but with lower values (M ± SD = 46.8 ± 13 pg mL^-1 for NHL & 37.4 ± 5.3 for HD). During therapeutic aplasia, NGF values were decreased, but still higher than the reference group (49.1 ± 18.7 pg mL^-1 for AML & 66.3 ± 35.6 for ALL). The highest NGF levels were observed in leukemic patients with CNS involvement (192.6 ± 24.9 pg mL^-1 at diagnosis & 104.7 ± 19.4 after remission) in comparison to leukemic patients without CNS involvement (M ± SD = 80.4 ± 43.4 at diagnosis & 39.4 ± 16.5 after remission). These findings could influence the future investigation and management of patients with acute leukemia especially with CNS involvement.