title: Interleukin-15 affects patient survival through natural killer cell recovery after autologous hematopoietic stem cell transplantation for non-Hodgkin lymphomas.
abstract: Natural killer cells at day 15 (NK-15), after autologous peripheral blood hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (APHSCT), is a prognostic factor for overall survival (OS) and progression-free survival (PFS) in non-Hodgkin lymphoma (NHL). The potential role of the immunologic (homeostatic) environment affecting NK-15 recovery and survival post-APHSCT has not been fully studied. Therefore, we evaluate prospectively the cytokine profile in 50 NHL patients treated with APHSCT. Patients with an interleukin-15 (IL-15) > or = 76.5 pg/mL at day 15 post-APHSCT experienced superior OS and PFS compared with those who did not; median OS; not reached versus 19.2 months, P < .002; and median PFS; not reached versus 6.8 months, P < .002, respectively. IL-15 was found to correlate with (r(s) = 0.7, P < .0001) NK-15. Multivariate analysis showed only NK-15 as a prognostic factor for survival, suggesting that the survival benefit observed by IL-15 is most likely mediated by enhanced NK cell recovery post-APHSCT.
authors.affiliation: Division of Hematology, Department of Medicine and Blood and Marrow Program, Mayo Clinic, 200 First Street SW, Rochester, MN 55905, USA. porrata.luis@mayo.edu
authors.forename: Luis F
authors.initials: LF
authors.lastname: Porrata
authors.forename: David J
authors.initials: DJ
authors.lastname: Inwards
authors.forename: Ivana N
authors.initials: IN
authors.lastname: Micallef
authors.forename: Patrick B
authors.initials: PB
authors.lastname: Johnston
authors.forename: Stephen M
authors.initials: SM
authors.lastname: Ansell
authors.forename: William J
authors.initials: WJ
authors.lastname: Hogan
authors.forename: Svetomir N
authors.initials: SN
authors.lastname: Markovic
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D002469:Cell Separation; D018572:Disease-Free Survival; D005260:Female; D005434:Flow Cytometry; D018380:Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplantation / Q000401:mortality*; D006801:Humans; D019409:Interleukin-15 / Q000097:blood / Q000276:immunology*; D053208:Kaplan-Meier Estimate; D007694:Killer Cells, Natural / Q000276:immunology*; D008228:Lymphoma, Non-Hodgkin / Q000276:immunology* / Q000401:mortality / Q000628:therapy; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D036102:Peripheral Blood Stem Cell Transplantation / Q000401:mortality; D011379:Prognosis; D014182:Transplantation, Autologous; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D019409:Interleukin-15