Lymphokine-activated killer cells can discriminate CD34+ leukemia cells from normal hematopoietic progenitor cells.
The ability of lymphokine-activated killer (LAK) cells to discriminate between CD34+ leukemia cells and hematopoietic progenitor cells was investigated. As effector cells, CD4(-)-LAK generated from a CD4- subset of allogeneic peripheral blood lymphocytes were used. The target cell samples were obtained from peripheral blood stem cell (PBSC) collections. Detection of residual tumor cells was performed using a polymerase chain reaction (PCR) technique for chimeric bcr/abl messenger RNA. When PBSC were obtained from patients with seminoma and lung cancer, treated with the CD4(-)-LAK for 12 h and the CD34+ cells were isolated, colony formation (CFU-GM) by these cells was preserved. When PBSC were obtained from a patient with PCR-positive acute lymphocytic leukemia and treated with the CD4(-)-LAK for 3 h, reexamination showed conversion to PCR negativity. Furthermore, when the CD34+ cells isolated from the negative converted PBSC were cultured, they still exhibited colony formation. These results suggest that the CD4(-)-LAK can kill the CD34+ leukemia cells, discriminating from the normal hematopoietic progenitors.
Komatsu
F
F
Blood Transfusion Service, School of Medicine, Tokyo Medical and Dental University, Japan.
Moriyama
K
K
D018952:Antigens, CD34 / Q000276:immunology*; D000951:Antigens, Neoplasm / Q000276:immunology*; D001483:Base Sequence; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D002469:Cell Separation; D003602:Cytotoxicity, Immunologic; D016044:Fusion Proteins, bcr-abl / Q000235:genetics*; D006412:Hematopoietic Stem Cells / Q000276:immunology*; D006801:Humans; D015979:Killer Cells, Lymphokine-Activated / Q000276:immunology*; D015464:Leukemia, Myelogenous, Chronic, BCR-ABL Positive / Q000276:immunology* / Q000473:pathology; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000235:genetics; D012016:Reference Values; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity
D018952:Antigens, CD34; D000951:Antigens, Neoplasm; D012333:RNA, Messenger; D016044:Fusion Proteins, bcr-abl