EFFECTS OF INTERLEUKINS-1-7 ON THE PROLIFERATION OF T-LINEAGE ACUTE LYMPHOBLASTIC-LEUKEMIA CELLS

We investigated the proliferative effects of interleukins 1-7 (IL-1 to -7) on leukemic cells from 10 patients with T-lineage acute lymphoblastic leukemia (T-ALL). Five patients had CD7+4-8-acute leukemia, one had CD5+ acute leukemia, and four had CD1+ acute leukemia. To examine the proliferative effect of each interleukin, H-3-TdR incorporation method was used. In the presence of IL-1, no increase in H-3-TdR incorporation was observed for any of the T-ALL cells. With IL-2, H-3-TdR incorporation increased in cells from 5 out of 10 T-ALL patients, including those with CD7+4-8-, CD5+, and CD1+ acute leukemia. In the presence of IL-3 or IL-6, H-3-TdR incorporation increased in cells from 2 out of 5 patients with CD7+4-8- acute leukemia. However, CD5+ or CD1+ acute leukemia cells were not stimulated by IL-3 or IL-6. With IL-4, H-3-TdR incorporation was increased in the cells from 2 out of 5 patients with CD7+4-8- acute leukemia and in the cells of 2 of those with CD1+ acute leukemia. IL-5 increased the H-3-TdR incorporation by cells from 2 out of 5 patients with CD7+4-8- acute leukemia and 1 patient with CD1+ acute leukemia. IL-7 increased H-3-TdR incorporation in cells from all five CD7+4-8- acute leukemia and 2 of those with CD5+ or CD1+ leukemia. No synergistic effect was found when IL-7 and other cytokines were added to cells from the 3 patients with CD7+4-8- acute leukemia who were tested.