title: Role of natural killer cell subsets and natural cytotoxicity receptors for the outcome of immunotherapy in acute myeloid leukemia.
abstract: In a phase IV trial, 84 patients (age 18-79) with acute myeloid leukemia (AML) in first complete remission (CR) received cycles of immunotherapy with histamine dihydrochloride (HDC) and low-dose human recombinant interleukin 2 (IL-2) for 18 months to prevent leukemic relapse. During cycles, the treatment resulted in expansion of CD56(bright) (CD3(-)/16(-)/56(bright)) and CD16(+) (CD3(-)/16(+)/56(+)) natural killer (NK) cells in the blood along with increased NK cell expression of the natural cytotoxicity receptors (NCRs) NKp30 and NKp46. Multivariate analyses correcting for age and risk group demonstrated that high CD56(bright) NK cell counts and high expression of NKp30 or NKp46 on CD16(+) NK cells independently predicted leukemia-free survival (LFS) and overall survival (OS). Our results suggest that the dynamics of NK cell subsets and their NCR expression may determine the efficiency of relapse-preventive immunotherapy in AML.
authors.affiliation: TIMM Laboratory; Sahlgrenska Cancer Center; University of Gothenburg ; Gothenburg, Sweden.
authors.forename: Anna
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Martner
authors.affiliation: TIMM Laboratory; Sahlgrenska Cancer Center; University of Gothenburg ; Gothenburg, Sweden.
authors.forename: Anna
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Rydström
authors.affiliation: TIMM Laboratory; Sahlgrenska Cancer Center; University of Gothenburg ; Gothenburg, Sweden.
authors.forename: Rebecca E
authors.initials: RE
authors.lastname: Riise
authors.affiliation: TIMM Laboratory; Sahlgrenska Cancer Center; University of Gothenburg; Gothenburg, Sweden; Department of Hematology; University of Gothenburg; Gothenburg, Sweden.
authors.forename: Johan
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Aurelius
authors.affiliation: Department of Cancer Epidemiology; University of Lund ; Lund, Sweden.
authors.forename: Harald
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Anderson
authors.affiliation: Department of Hematology; University of Gothenburg ; Gothenburg, Sweden.
authors.forename: Mats
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Brune
authors.affiliation: Department of Cellular Biotechnologies and Hematology; Sapienza University of Rome ; Rome, Italy.
authors.forename: Robin
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Foà
authors.affiliation: TIMM Laboratory; Sahlgrenska Cancer Center; University of Gothenburg ; Gothenburg, Sweden.
authors.forename: Kristoffer
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Hellstrand
authors.affiliation: TIMM Laboratory; Sahlgrenska Cancer Center; University of Gothenburg ; Gothenburg, Sweden.
authors.forename: Fredrik B
authors.initials: FB
authors.lastname: Thorén
keywords: acute myeloid leukemia; immunotherapy; natural cytotoxicity receptors; natural killer cells