title: Cytokine and natural killing regulation of growth of a hairy cell leukemia-like cell line: the role of interferon-alpha and interleukin-2.
abstract: Hairy cell leukemia (HCL) is a lymphoproliferative disorder of B-lymphocytes, with pathological manifestations usually including splenomegaly and pancytopenia. Naturally occurring and recombinant interferons (IFNs), specifically of the alpha subtype, have shown a significant anti-tumor effect in HCL patients, with improvement of hematologic parameters within the first few months of treatment. The mechanisms responsible for the beneficial action of IFN-alpha in HCL patients are unclear, but several hypotheses have been suggested. Recently, a continuous line of cells (Eskol) from a patient diagnosed with hairy cell leukemia was established and shown to have several properties of a leukemic hairy cell. In the present study, we investigated the direct effect of IFN-alpha and interleukin (IL-2) on the Eskol cell line, and lymphokine regulation of natural killing (NK) activity against these cells. It was found that IFN-alpha has a direct antiproliferative effect on Eskol cells. Furthermore, Eskol cells were found to be completely resistant to NK-cell mediated cytotoxicity (CMC) but were somewhat sensitive to either IFN-alpha-primed NK or lymphokine-activated killer (LAK) cells-CMC. The resistance of Eskol cells to NK-CMC is due to a low binding ability to effector cells. Moreover, it was found that like IFN, IL-2 can protect Eskol cells from activated NK-CMC. Both cytokines reduced the ability of Eskol cells to induce NK-cytotoxic factor (NKCF) release from NK cells following conjugate formation between Eskol cells and effector cells. Moreover, cycloheximide treatment abolished the protective effect against NK-CMC induced by IFN-alpha or by IL-2. Therefore, it seems that the protective effect against NK-CMC induced by both cytokines is mediated via the same mechanism.
authors.affiliation: Department of Biology, Indiana University, Bloomington 47405.
authors.forename: Z
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Reiter
authors.forename: O N
authors.initials: ON
authors.lastname: Ozes
authors.forename: L M
authors.initials: LM
authors.lastname: Blatt
authors.forename: M W
authors.initials: MW
authors.lastname: Taylor
mesh_terms: D002455:Cell Division / Q000187:drug effects; D003602:Cytotoxicity, Immunologic; D006801:Humans; D016898:Interferon-alpha / Q000494:pharmacology*; D007376:Interleukin-2 / Q000494:pharmacology*; D015979:Killer Cells, Lymphokine-Activated / Q000276:immunology*; D007694:Killer Cells, Natural / Q000276:immunology*; D007943:Leukemia, Hairy Cell / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000276:immunology* / Q000473:pathology; D008954:Models, Biological; D011994:Recombinant Proteins / Q000494:pharmacology; D014407:Tumor Cells, Cultured / Q000187:drug effects
chemical_list: D016898:Interferon-alpha; D007376:Interleukin-2; D011994:Recombinant Proteins