title: Enhanced bactericidal function by WKYMVm in patients with acute leukemia.
abstract: We have previously shown that the novel hexapeptide WKYMVm can stimulate bactericidal activity in neutrophils obtained from neutropenic patients treated with chemotherapeutic agents for solid tumors. To extend these observations, we evaluated whether WKYMVm can enhance leukocyte bactericidal activity in patients with acute leukemia (AL). Using blood samples withdrawn from 28 AL patients and 31 healthy controls, we found that, in the absence of exogenous WKYMVm, WKYMVm receptor and bactericidal activity did not differ between patients and controls. Addition of WKYMVm markedly increased the bactericidal activities of these cells in a dose-dependent manner. During induction chemotherapy, there were significant increases in bactericidal activity in the presence and absence of 1nM WKYMVm, with higher bactericidal activities at the time of complete remission than at the time of diagnosis or on day 15. During consolidation chemotherapy, WKYMVm had no effect on bactericidal activities. Patients showed significant increase in the concentrations of TNF alpha, IL-1b, IL-6 and IL-8, but significant decrease in the concentrations of IL-2, IL-4 and IL-12. TNF alpha, IL-1b and IL-6 showed significant negative correlations with bactericidal activities of patient neutrophils at time of diagnosis, and IL-4 showed a significant positive correlation with bactericidal activities. Taken together, these findings indicate that WKYMVm enhances bactericidal activity in patients with AL.
authors.affiliation: Division of Hematology-Oncology, Ulsan University Hospital, University of Ulsan College of Medicine, Republic of Korea. kimhawk@mail.ulsan.ac.kr
authors.forename: Hawk
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.forename: Eui-Kyu
authors.initials: EK
authors.lastname: Noh
authors.forename: Eun Jung
authors.initials: EJ
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.forename: Jin Ho
authors.initials: JH
authors.lastname: Baek
authors.forename: Su Jin
authors.initials: SJ
authors.lastname: Shin
authors.forename: Jae-Hoo
authors.initials: JH
authors.lastname: Park
authors.forename: Kyoo-Hyung
authors.initials: KH
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.forename: Young Joo
authors.initials: YJ
authors.lastname: Min
mesh_terms: D001770:Blood Bactericidal Activity; D016207:Cytokines / Q000097:blood; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D015470:Leukemia, Myeloid, Acute / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000276:immunology*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009842:Oligopeptides / Q000502:physiology*; D054198:Precursor Cell Lymphoblastic Leukemia-Lymphoma / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000276:immunology*
chemical_list: D016207:Cytokines; D009842:Oligopeptides; C113617:Trp-Lys-Tyr-Met-Val-Met