Treatment with interferon-alpha preferentially reduces the capacity for amplification of granulocyte-macrophage progenitors (CFU-GM) from patients with chronic myeloid leukemia but spares normal CFU-GM.
The biological target for interferon (IFN)-alpha in chronic myeloid leukemia (CML) is unknown, but one possibility is that amplification of granulocyte-macrophage colony-forming cells (CFU-GM) is reduced. Replating CFU-GM colonies and observing secondary colony formation provides a measure of CFU-GM amplification. Amplification of CML, but not normal, CFU-GM in vitro was significantly inhibited by IFN-alpha (P = 0.02). In 5 out of 15 CML cases studied by fluorescence in situ hybridization, in vitro treatment with IFN-alpha increased the proportion of CFU-GM, which lacked BCR-ABL. The ability of patients' CFU-GM to amplify, and suppression of this ability by IFN-alpha, predicted responsiveness to IFN-alpha therapy in 86% of cases. Investigation of patients on treatment with IFN-alpha showed a threefold reduction in CFU-GM amplification in responders (P = 0.03) but no significant change in nonresponders (P = 0.8). We conclude that IFN-alpha preferentially suppresses amplification of CML CFU-GM to varying degrees. The differing in vitro sensitivities to IFN-alpha and growth kinetics of individual patients' cells could help differentiate those who will or will not benefit from treatment with IFN-alpha.
Department of Haematology, Imperial College School of Medicine, Hammersmith Hospital, London W12 ONN, United Kingdom. mgordon@rpms.ac.uk
M Y
MY
Gordon
S B
SB
Marley
J L
JL
Lewis
R J
RJ
Davidson
D X
DX
Nguyen
F H
FH
Grand
T A
TA
Amos
J M
JM
Goldman
D000970:Antineoplastic Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use; D002455:Cell Division / Q000187:drug effects; D006098:Granulocytes / Q000166:cytology / Q000187:drug effects*; D006412:Hematopoietic Stem Cells / Q000166:cytology / Q000187:drug effects*; D006801:Humans; D016898:Interferon-alpha / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D015464:Leukemia, Myelogenous, Chronic, BCR-ABL Positive / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000276:immunology; D008264:Macrophages / Q000166:cytology / Q000187:drug effects*; D016896:Treatment Outcome
D000970:Antineoplastic Agents; D016898:Interferon-alpha