Production of interleukin 3 and granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor from stimulated blood mononuclear cells in patients with aplastic anemia.
Blood cells from patients with aplastic anemia (AA) were evaluated for the ability to produce interleukin 3 (IL-3) and granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor (GM-CSF) on stimulation with phytohemagglutinin (PHA) or antilymphocyte globulin (ALG) by the use of an IL-3-dependent cell-line, TF-1, and the GM-CSF-IRMA kit. The IL-3 levels in patients with active AA were significantly lower, both in PHA-stimulated conditioned medium (CM) and in ALG-CM, than those of normal healthy donors (HD; p < 0.01). The degree of reduced IL-3 production in AA patients correlated well with the severity of neutropenia; the level of IL-3 returned to normal after successful treatment with ALG plus methylprednisolone (ALG therapy). On the other hand, GM-CSF production in AA patients varied widely and was only significant in remission patients in PHA-CM; in this case production was higher than that in active AA patients (p < 0.05) or in HD (p < 0.01). Sensitivity to PHA or ALG stimulation was evaluated by the ratio of IL-3 concentrations in ALG-CM versus PHA-CM (ALG/PHA index). The index varied widely from < 0.1 to > 10 in AA patients, contrasting to the clustered values in HD. Seven of the eight patients who had an ALG/PHA index of > 1.0 showed a good clinical response to ALG therapy. However, 12 of the 14 patients who had a lower index (< 1.0) failed to respond. The ALG/PHA index might have an ability to predict the response to ALG therapy.
Kawano
Y
Y
Department of Pediatrics, University of Tokushima, Japan.
Takaue
Y
Y
Hirao
A
A
Watanabe
T
T
Abe
T
T
Shimizu
T
T
Sato
J
J
Saito
S
S
Kitamura
T
T
Takaku
F
F
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000741:Anemia, Aplastic / Q000097:blood* / Q000473:pathology; D000961:Antilymphocyte Serum / Q000494:pharmacology; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D017077:Culture Media, Conditioned / Q000494:pharmacology; D005260:Female; D016178:Granulocyte-Macrophage Colony-Stimulating Factor / Q000378:metabolism*; D006801:Humans; D007377:Interleukin-3 / Q000378:metabolism*; D008297:Male; D008775:Methylprednisolone / Q000494:pharmacology; D008875:Middle Aged; D009000:Monocytes / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology; D010835:Phytohemagglutinins / Q000494:pharmacology
D000961:Antilymphocyte Serum; D017077:Culture Media, Conditioned; D007377:Interleukin-3; D010835:Phytohemagglutinins; D016178:Granulocyte-Macrophage Colony-Stimulating Factor; D008775:Methylprednisolone