title: Recombinant alpha-2b-interferon may restore natural-killer activity in patients with B-chronic lymphocytic leukemia.
abstract: In nine patients with CLL treated with chlorambucil followed by alpha-2b-interferon (alpha 2b-IFN), T, B and natural killer (NK) cells and NK activity were studied before entering the study, after chlorambucil treatment, and after administration of alpha 2b-IFN. When considered as a whole, basal NK activity was lower in CLL patients than in controls (21.0% +/- 10.9 versus 40.2% +/- 17.4, p less than 0.001); however, when considered individually, four out of nine patients had normal NK activity at diagnosis. Chlorambucil did not increase global NK activity (21.7% +/- 7.1), whereas alpha 2b-IFN did so (44.3% +/- 19.1). After alpha 2b-IFN only one of seven patients studied had low NK activity. Previously increased absolute counts of CD2+, CD4+, CD8+, CD16+, CD57+ lymphocytes were reversed with chlorambucil treatment to normal levels, while after this therapy CD11b+ and CD19+ cells decreased without reaching normal values. During alpha 2b-IFN therapy, an increase up to normal levels in the percentage of CD16+ (2.7% +/- 3.4 versus 7.7% +/- 6.5, p = 0.04) and CD57+ (3.0% +/- 3.0 versus 8.1% +/- 6.2, p = 0.020) lymphocytes was observed whereas the absolute number of CD19+ B-cells further decreased (5.2 x 10(9)/l +/- 2.5 vs 3.8 x 10(9)/l +/- 2.3), albeit not significantly.
authors.affiliation: Servei d'Hematologia Biològica, Hospital Clínic de Barcelona, Universitat de Barcelona, Spain.
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Villamor
authors.forename: J C
authors.initials: JC
authors.lastname: Reverter
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Montserrat
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Urbano-Ispízua
authors.forename: J L
authors.initials: JL
authors.lastname: Vives-Corrons
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Rozman
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D015703:Antigens, CD / Q000378:metabolism; D018941:Antigens, CD19; D000943:Antigens, Differentiation / Q000378:metabolism; D000944:Antigens, Differentiation, B-Lymphocyte / Q000378:metabolism; D000945:Antigens, Differentiation, T-Lymphocyte / Q000378:metabolism; D016175:B-Lymphocyte Subsets / Q000276:immunology; D018959:CD57 Antigens; D002699:Chlorambucil / Q000627:therapeutic use; D003602:Cytotoxicity, Immunologic; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D000077190:Interferon alpha-2; D016898:Interferon-alpha / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D007694:Killer Cells, Natural / Q000276:immunology*; D015451:Leukemia, Lymphocytic, Chronic, B-Cell / Q000276:immunology / Q000628:therapy*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011961:Receptors, Fc / Q000378:metabolism; D017452:Receptors, IgG; D011994:Recombinant Proteins; D016176:T-Lymphocyte Subsets / Q000276:immunology
chemical_list: D015703:Antigens, CD; D018941:Antigens, CD19; D000943:Antigens, Differentiation; D000944:Antigens, Differentiation, B-Lymphocyte; D000945:Antigens, Differentiation, T-Lymphocyte; D018959:CD57 Antigens; D000077190:Interferon alpha-2; D016898:Interferon-alpha; D011961:Receptors, Fc; D017452:Receptors, IgG; D011994:Recombinant Proteins; D002699:Chlorambucil