Expression of cytokine genes in T cell leukemias.
Normal T cells secrete cytokines which have important effects on a wide range of other cells. In the present study, the expression of IL-2, IL-4, IL-5, IL-10 and IFN-gamma was assessed in PBMC from 3 cases of T cell leukemia, using reverse transcription and polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR). The major difference between the leukemia cases and control PBMC samples was that, without in vitro stimulation, IFN-gamma was much more readily detected in 2 of the leukemia cases. IL-2 and IL-5 mRNA were also detected in 2 of the patients but not in the other samples. IL-4 mRNA was not detected in any unstimulated sample, whereas IL-10 was always present. After polyclonal stimulation in vitro, mRNA for all these cytokines was detected in all samples. Thus cytokine expression, particularly of IFN-gamma, may be more prominent in PBMC from adult T cell leukemia cases than in controls.
Berger
M F
MF
Department of Surgery, New York Hospital/Cornell Medical Center, USA.
Boyle
M J
MJ
Valentine
J E
JE
Dodds
A
A
Penny
R
R
Sewell
W A
WA
D000328:Adult; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D015972:Gene Expression Regulation, Neoplastic / Q000502:physiology*; D006801:Humans; D016130:Immunophenotyping; D007371:Interferon-gamma / Q000235:genetics*; D007378:Interleukins / Q000235:genetics*; D015458:Leukemia, T-Cell / Q000235:genetics*; D007963:Leukocytes, Mononuclear / Q000502:physiology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction / Q000379:methods; D012313:RNA / Q000235:genetics; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000096:biosynthesis; D014158:Transcription, Genetic
D007378:Interleukins; D012333:RNA, Messenger; D012313:RNA; D007371:Interferon-gamma