title: Interleukin 4 responses in acute leukaemia patients with severe chemotherapy-induced leucopenia.
abstract: T lymphocyte functions in acute leukaemia patients with severe chemotherapy-induced leucopenia were investigated using 3 different approaches: (i) analysis of serum concentrations of the T cell cytokine interleukin 4 (IL4) demonstrated that serum IL4 levels increased during complicating bacterial infections. However, this response was modulated by a concomitant increase in serum levels of the potential IL4 antagonist soluble IL4 receptor alpha chain (sIL4R alpha). (ii) Even during leucopenia a subset of T lymphocytes derived from leucopenic patients expressed the activation markers CD25 (IL2 receptor), CD71 (transferrin receptor) and HLA-DR. (iii) Subsets of circulating CD4+ and CD8+ T lymphocytes could undergo clonogenic proliferation in vitro, and a majority of these clones secreted IL4. CD4+ clones showed higher IL4 levels than CD8+ clones. Our results indicate that T lymphocytes can be activated and contribute to cytokine responses in acute leukaemia patients with severe chemotherapy-induced cytopenia.
authors.affiliation: Section for Haematology, Gade Institute, Haukeland Hospital, University of Bergen, Norway.
authors.forename: O
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Bruserud
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Ulvestad
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Halstensen
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Berentsen
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Bergheim
authors.forename: I
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Nesthus
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D015703:Antigens, CD / Q000032:analysis; D000944:Antigens, Differentiation, B-Lymphocyte / Q000032:analysis; D000970:Antineoplastic Agents / Q000009:adverse effects* / Q000627:therapeutic use; D001424:Bacterial Infections / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000517:prevention & control; D005260:Female; D006684:HLA-DR Antigens / Q000032:analysis; D006801:Humans; D015847:Interleukin-4 / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors / Q000097:blood / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D015470:Leukemia, Myeloid, Acute / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000276:immunology; D007970:Leukopenia / Q000139:chemically induced* / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000276:immunology; D008213:Lymphocyte Activation; D018655:Lymphocyte Count; D008297:Male; D008589:Meningococcal Infections / Q000097:blood; D008875:Middle Aged; D054198:Precursor Cell Lymphoblastic Leukemia-Lymphoma / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000276:immunology; D015375:Receptors, Interleukin-2 / Q000032:analysis; D011990:Receptors, Transferrin; D013601:T-Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology
chemical_list: D015703:Antigens, CD; D000944:Antigens, Differentiation, B-Lymphocyte; D000970:Antineoplastic Agents; C068126:CD71 antigen; D006684:HLA-DR Antigens; D015375:Receptors, Interleukin-2; D011990:Receptors, Transferrin; D015847:Interleukin-4