Abstract
Objective: To evaluate the cytogenetic, molecular response, effect particularly on bone and heart for imatinib and nilotinib respectively in patients with chronic myeloid leukemia (CML).
Methods: The study was conducted on eighty seven patients on imatinib and twenty nine patients on nilotinib as second line treatment who were treated at Ibn-Sena Teaching Hospital /Outpatient Hematology Department were reviewed from April 2002 to April 2014. The Fluorescent in situ hybridization (FISH) analysis was carried on at central authorized laboratory in Baghdad. The reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) carried on authorized laboratory initially in Baghdad then in Mosul, (both laboratory using the same standard and sponsored by Novartis). To study the effect of imatinib mesylate on bone mineral density fifty out of 87 patients were enrolled for this purpose. For all the patients ionized calcium, total calcium, serum albumin, serum alkaline phosphatase, serum phosphate, urea, creatinine and serum levels of intact parathyroid hormone measured at baseline, 6 months and 12 months. Dual energy X-ray absorptiometry (DEXA) measurements of the lumbar spine (L2–L4 vertebrae), and femoral neck were performed using a DEXA scanner. For the nilotinib group, all patients had a base-line standard 12-lead electrocardiography (ECG), with a follow-up ECG’s performed every 6 months during the study period to assess any occurrence of QT prolongation, ischemic changes, or arrhythmias Noninvasive cardiac imaging was performed using the resting transthoracic Echocardiography (Echo) with its 2-dimentional and M-mode views.
