Cross-resistance patterns and antigen expression in Vinca alkaloid- and other multiple drug-resistant human leukemic cell lines.

The studies presented in this report demonstrate that Vinca alkaloid-resistant human leukemic lymphoblasts display patterns of cross-resistance to other drugs that differ from those of cell lines selected for primary resistance to anthracyclines or epipodophyllotoxins. These various drug-resistant cell lines also showed differential expression of an antigen recognized by an antibody that distinguishes VLB-resistant from VLB-sensitive cells. Furthermore, comparable levels of resistance or cross-resistance to one drug are not predictive of cross-resistance to other drugs. Our data suggest, then, that the MDR phenotype is complex and may be the result of many and different biochemical lesions. Thus, in order to predict MDR, it may be necessary to document more than one of these changes with specific reagents.