title: The role of interleukin-10 (IL-10) in chronic B-lymphocytic leukemia: IL-10 prevents leukemic cells from apoptotic cell death.
abstract: We examined the possible role of interleukin 10 (IL-10) in the pathogenesis of human chronic B-lymphocytic leukemias (B-CLL). With the use of an in vitro culture technique, we found that IL-10 enhanced the survival of B-CLL cells in a dose-dependent fashion by inhibiting the process of apoptotic cell death. This was demonstrated by transmission electron microscopy and DNA gel electrophoresis. Flow cytometric and immunoblot analyses showed that IL-10 did not significantly upregulate bcl-2 expression as compared with control cultures. B-CLL cells were also found to spontaneously release IL-10 in cultures, and serum IL-10 levels were elevated in five of the eleven B-CLL patients. These findings suggest that IL-10 acts as an autocrine growth factor for B-CLL cells and cytokine-based therapy might be a new approach for the treatment of B-CLL.
authors.affiliation: Department of Internal Medicine III, Akita University School of Medicine, Japan.
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Kitabayashi
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Hirokawa
authors.forename: A B
authors.initials: AB
authors.lastname: Miura
mesh_terms: D017209:Apoptosis / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology*; D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor / Q000096:biosynthesis; D004249:DNA Damage; D004273:DNA, Neoplasm / Q000032:analysis; D015973:Gene Expression Regulation, Leukemic / Q000187:drug effects; D006801:Humans; D016753:Interleukin-10 / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000502:physiology*; D007943:Leukemia, Hairy Cell / Q000473:pathology; D015451:Leukemia, Lymphocytic, Chronic, B-Cell / Q000473:pathology*; D008854:Microscopy, Electron; D009363:Neoplasm Proteins / Q000096:biosynthesis; D014411:Neoplastic Stem Cells / Q000187:drug effects / Q000473:pathology*; D011518:Proto-Oncogene Proteins / Q000096:biosynthesis; D019253:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-bcl-2; D011994:Recombinant Proteins / Q000494:pharmacology; D014407:Tumor Cells, Cultured
chemical_list: D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor; D004273:DNA, Neoplasm; D009363:Neoplasm Proteins; D011518:Proto-Oncogene Proteins; D019253:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-bcl-2; D011994:Recombinant Proteins; D016753:Interleukin-10