EXPRESSION CIF CYTOKINE RECEPTORS ON DIFFERENT MYELOID LEUKEMIC-CELLS

We have studied the expression of cytokine receptors CD25 (IL-2Ra,55kD ), CD116 (hGM-CSRF,145kD), CD117 (CSFR,145kD), CD120a (TNFR,55kD), CD1 20b (TNFR,75kD), CD121a (IL-1R, type I,80kD), CD123 (IL-3R), CD124 (IL -4R,140kD), CD126 (IL-6R, 80kD), CDw127 (IL-7R, 75kD), CDw128 (IL-8R), CD130 (gp130 subunit), CD131 (common beta), CD134 (OX40) and also CD9 5 (Fas antigen) on the myeloid leukemic cells. Cells from peripheral b lood or bone marrow of 30 patients with disorders in myeloid lineage i ncluded mostly acute myeloid leukemias (with high leukocyte count and percentage of blasts) were analyzed for the expression of surface memb rane molecules by indirect immunofluorescence method evaluated by flow cytometry. The findings indicate that some monoclonal antibodies have a reactivity against cytokine receptors of pathological cells in indi vidual cases, but with very variable qualitative and quantitative (num ber copies/cell) expression (preliminary results). The leukemic cells demonstrate unique cytokine receptor profiles, which reveal the great diversity of immunophenotypes within the main functional characterizat ion of blood malignancies. The immunophenotype heterogeneity of leukem ic cells has proved to be much greater than to match with existing cla ssification criteria. This fact could raise the necessity of further e valuation and specification of cytokine markers of the myeloid acute l eukemias. On the other hand, detection of cytokine receptors on the le ukemia cells is important for cytokine therapy.