title: Dendritic cells in chronic myelomonocytic leukaemia.
abstract: Blood dendritic cells (DC) differentiate in vitro via two separate pathways: either directly from blood DC precursors (DCp) or from CD14+ monocytes. In chronic myelomonocytic leukaemia (CMML) abnormal bone marrow precursors contribute to blood monocyte development but DC development has not been studied previously. Monocytes comprised 60% of blood MNC in 15 CMML patients studied, compared with 20% in 16 age-matched controls. The increase in blood monocytes was accompanied by a reciprocal decrease in mean blood DC percentage (from 0.42% of MNC in normal individuals to 0.16% of MNC in CMML patients). Absolute blood DC numbers showed a minimal (non-significant) reduction from 9.8 x 10(6)/l in normal individuals to 7.5 x 10(6)/l in CMML patients. The CD14(low) WCD16+ monocyte subpopulation was not found in CMML patients. After culture in GM-CSF/IL-4, CMML CD14+ monocytes acquired the phenotype of immature monocyte derived DC (Mo-DC) with similar yields to normal blood Mo-DC generation. Addition of TNF-alpha or LPS induced both normal and CMML Mo-DC to express prominent dendritic processes, the CMRF44+ and CD83+ antigens and high levels of HLA-DR, CD80 and CD86. Treatment either with TNF-alpha or LPS increased the allostimulatory activity of normal Mo-DC, but had little effect on the allostimulatory activity of CMML Mo-DC, perhaps reflecting the underlying neoplastic changes in monocyte precursors. We conclude that the blood DC numbers are relatively unaffected in CMML, suggesting discrete regulation of monocyte and DC production.
authors.affiliation: Haematology/Immunology/Transfusion Medicine Research Group, Christchurch School of Medicine, New Zealand.
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Vuckovic
authors.forename: D B
authors.initials: DB
authors.lastname: Fearnley
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Gunningham
authors.forename: R L
authors.initials: RL
authors.lastname: Spearing
authors.forename: W N
authors.initials: WN
authors.lastname: Patton
authors.forename: D N
authors.initials: DN
authors.lastname: Hart
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D015703:Antigens, CD / Q000378:metabolism; D002452:Cell Count; D003713:Dendritic Cells / Q000473:pathology*; D006801:Humans; D015477:Leukemia, Myelomonocytic, Chronic / Q000473:pathology*; D008070:Lipopolysaccharides / Q000494:pharmacology; D008875:Middle Aged; D009000:Monocytes / Q000473:pathology; D010641:Phenotype; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha / Q000494:pharmacology
chemical_list: D015703:Antigens, CD; D008070:Lipopolysaccharides; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha