INDUCTION OF INTERLEUKIN-2 RECEPTOR-ALPHA CHAIN EXPRESSION ON IMMATURE ACUTE MYELOCYTIC-LEUKEMIA CELLS

Leukemic cells from 27 adult patients with acute myelocytic leukemia ( AML) were investigated to determine the cell surface inducibility of i nterleukin-2 receptor (IL-2R) in in vitro culture with and without int erteukin-1 beta (IL-I beta). IL-2R alpha chain (IL-2R alpha) was induc ed on leukemic cells in 11 of 27 cases. Most of the cases could induce IL-2R alpha spontaneously without IL-I beta, while the IL-2R beta cha in (IL-2R beta) did not appear on leukemic cells from any of the cases tested. AML cases expressing CD7 or HLA-DR antigen could induce IL-2R alpha more frequently than any other type of AML. Among interleukin-3 (IL-3), granulocyte-macrophage colony stimulating factor (GM-CSF) and G-CSF, IL-3 showed a more prominent effect on DNA synthesis in IL-2R alpha inducible cases than in its uninducible cases. These results sug gest that IL-2R alpha but not IL-2R beta was easily inducible on AML c ells with immature characteristics.