Detection of multidrug resistance markers, P-glycoprotein and mdr1 mRNA, in human leukemia cells

Abstract

We have examined the expression of P-glycoprotein in clinical leukemic cell samples by using a monoclonal antibody (MRK16) against P-glycoprotein. We found that leukemia cells isolated from 3 out of 6 patients with blast crisis of chronic myelogenous leukemia were reactive to MRK16. These 3 cell lines expressed high levels of mdr1 mRNA, which codes for P-glycoprotein. The present result indicates that the clinically refractory state of the tumor may be predicted in part by determining P-glycoprotein expression using the monoclonal antibody against P-glycoprotein, and the mdr1 probe.