title: Interleukin-7 (IL-7)-induced proliferation of CD8+ T-chronic lymphocytic leukemia cells.
abstract: Interleukin-7 (IL-7) is a growth factor for pro-B cells, pre-B cells, and thymocytes and is known to induce the proliferation of normal human peripheral T cells. Moreover, human B and T acute leukemia cells with immature surface markers proliferate in response to IL-7. Here we describe a case of T-chronic lymphocytic leukemia, in which the leukemic cells showed a proliferative response to human recombinant IL-7 in vitro. The patient was a 74-year-old woman with anemia and thrombocytopenia, whose bone marrow was fibrosed and infiltrated with pathologic cells. Surface markers of the leukemic cells were CD2(+), CD3(+), CD5(+), CD7(+), CD8(+), and CD4(-). Both T-cell receptor beta-chain and gamma-chain genes were found to be rearranged by immunogenotypic analysis. The leukemic cells proliferated in response to IL-7 dose dependently. The DNA synthesis of CLL cells was stimulated by not only IL-7 but also IL-2 and IL-4. The IL-7-induced proliferation was not inhibited by antibodies to IL-2 receptors or the anti-IL-4 antibody. These findings indicate that IL-7 may induce the proliferation of peripheral CD8+ T cells, even on its pathological counterpart.
authors.affiliation: Department of Internal Medicine, Kanazawa Medical University, Ishikawa, Japan.
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Yoshioka
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Shimizu
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Tachibana
authors.forename: Y
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Hirose
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Fukutoku
authors.forename: Y
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Takeuchi
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Sugai
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Takiguchi
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Konda
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000740:Anemia / Q000175:diagnosis; D000954:Antigens, Surface / Q000276:immunology; D016207:Cytokines / Q000494:pharmacology; D004273:DNA, Neoplasm / Q000096:biosynthesis; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D015851:Interleukin-7 / Q000494:pharmacology*; D015461:Leukemia, Prolymphocytic, T-Cell / Q000276:immunology*; D008213:Lymphocyte Activation / Q000276:immunology*; D055728:Primary Myelofibrosis / Q000175:diagnosis; D011994:Recombinant Proteins / Q000494:pharmacology; D050378:T-Lymphocytes, Regulatory / Q000276:immunology*; D013921:Thrombocytopenia / Q000175:diagnosis
chemical_list: D000954:Antigens, Surface; D016207:Cytokines; D004273:DNA, Neoplasm; D015851:Interleukin-7; D011994:Recombinant Proteins