CYTOKINE GENE ACTIVITY IN AML CELLS IN-VIVO IN PATIENTS

The proliferation of acute myelogenous leukemia cells is dependent upo n cytokine stimulation. Additionally, there is a body of literature wh ich reports that leukemia cells produce GMCSF, IL6, and other cytokine s. The study reported here, using an rt-multiplex polymerase method, d etermined the presence or absence of transcripts in freshly obtained A ML cells for the following cytokine or cytokine-related genes: IL 1 be ta, IL1ra, TNF alpha, GMCSF, IL6, fit 3, and hSCF. This demonstrated t hat leukemia cell populations usually contain transcripts for IL1 beta , TNF alpha, fit 3 and fit 3 ligand in vivo and that transcripts for t he other cytokines only appear after the leukemia cells are processed in vitro. The presence of TNFa transcripts appears to be associated wi th resistance to remission induction therapy. Furthermore, the transcr ipt profile of the leukemia cells can change during remission inductio n therapy. The data also demonstrate the assessment of cytokine produc tion by leukemia cells after in vitro manipulation should not be extra polated to the in vivo situation. (C) 1998 Elsevier Science Ltd. All r ights reserved.