title: Cytokines and cytokine receptors in acute lymphoblastic leukemia expressing myeloid markers--role in growth regulation.
abstract: There is no evidence that cancer cells including leukemic cells are immortal. It has been clearly indicated that certain cytokines can significantly stimulate leukemic cell proliferation in vitro, and sustain the circuit of autocrine or paracrine stimulation. The biological roles of cytokines and cytokine receptors have been intensively investigated in acute leukemia. Recently coexpression of both lymphoid and myeloid features on a single leukemic cell has been well recognized using a flowcytometric technique. Studies of ALL cells expressing myeloid markers (My+ ALL) have indicated that the profiles of cytokines and cytokine receptors expressed by My+ ALL show both similarities and differences to those in My- ALL or acute myelogenous leukemia (AML), suggesting that My+ ALL cells may originate from uncommitted hematopoietic precursor cells coexpressing features of both lymphoid and myeloid lineages. The exact assessment of cytokine response of leukemic cells would provide an important tool for phenotyping acute leukemia based on the growth properties of the cells (cytokine phenotyping), in addition to the morphologic classification and immunological surface phenotyping. Additionally alteration of sensitivity to cytotoxic anticancer drugs by cytokine stimulation may be the new strategy for biologic therapy of acute leukemia.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatrics, Mie University School of Medicine, Japan.
authors.forename: Y
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Komada
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Sakurai
mesh_terms: D000954:Antigens, Surface / Q000032:analysis*; D000970:Antineoplastic Agents / Q000008:administration & dosage; D002455:Cell Division; D003115:Colony-Stimulating Factors / Q000502:physiology; D016207:Cytokines / Q000502:physiology* / Q000627:therapeutic use; D005434:Flow Cytometry; D006412:Hematopoietic Stem Cells / Q000473:pathology; D006801:Humans; D016130:Immunophenotyping; D054198:Precursor Cell Lymphoblastic Leukemia-Lymphoma / Q000473:pathology* / Q000628:therapy; D018121:Receptors, Cytokine / Q000502:physiology*
chemical_list: D000954:Antigens, Surface; D000970:Antineoplastic Agents; D003115:Colony-Stimulating Factors; D016207:Cytokines; D018121:Receptors, Cytokine