title: The mechanism of action of interferon-alpha (IFN-alpha) in hairy-cell leukaemia; Hu-IFN-alpha 2 receptor expression by hairy cells and other normal and leukaemic cell types.
abstract: To investigate the possible direct effects of interferon-alpha (IFN-alpha) in hairy-cell leukaemia, IFN-alpha receptor expression by hairy cells (HCs) (11 cases) was measured by a radiolabelling technique and compared with that of MOLT-4, chronic lymphocytic leukaemia (CLL; 14 cases) and various other leukaemic and normal cell types. Purified peripheral blood (PB) and splenic HCs showed higher levels of receptor expression (approx. 1000 +/- 200 binding sites/cell; 11 cases tested) than other normal and leukaemic cells types. Purified normal PB and tonsil B cells showed low levels of receptors (approx. 120 +/- 100 binding sites/cell), while a range of B-cell leukaemias displayed intermediate levels of expression (approx. 100-500 sites/cell). In the 15 cases of CLL tested, 530 +/- 330 binding sites/cell were demonstrated, the high standard deviation reflecting the fact that approximately one third of cases had receptor levels comparable with those in HCL. Normal and HCL T cells, red cells and platelets had no demonstrable IFN receptors. It is suggested that these findings may be relevant to the efficacy of IFN in hairy-cell leukaemia.
mesh_terms: D001402:B-Lymphocytes / Q000378:metabolism; D002460:Cell Line; D006801:Humans; D007370:Interferon Type I / Q000378:metabolism*; D007700:Kinetics; D007943:Leukemia, Hairy Cell / Q000097:blood*; D007945:Leukemia, Lymphoid / Q000097:blood; D011971:Receptors, Immunologic / Q000096:biosynthesis*; D017471:Receptors, Interferon
chemical_list: D007370:Interferon Type I; D011971:Receptors, Immunologic; D017471:Receptors, Interferon