In an attempt to find new agents that promote differentiation and have
therapeutic potential in acute myeloid leukemias, we have studied the
effect of recombinant human granulocyte colony stimulating factor (rh
G-CSF) on the Kasumi-1 AML2 t(8; 21) cell line. Upon incubation with r
hG-CSF (0.2-2000 ng/ml), Kasumi-1 cells showed a peak of cell growth,
with a subsequent decrease of cell survival after 4 days of culture. A
t that time, more than 80% of the cell population expressed myeloid di
fferentiation antigens (CD11b, CD13, CD15 and CDw65), and increased G-
CSF receptors. Gel shift assays were performed with nuclear extracts o
f Kasumi-1 cells after 1, 5, 10, 15, 30 and 60 min incubations with G-
CSF and oligonucleotides containing the high-affinity SIF-binding site
. At least three specific complexes were obtained, and shown by supers
hift assays to be STAT3/STAT3, STAT1/STAT3 and STAT1/STAT1 dimers. The
se results suggest that in G-CSF-sensitive Kasumi-1 cells, normal JAK-
STAT pathways are activated, providing a further molecular basis for t
he effect of G-CSF in these cells.