Chronic Myeloid Leukemia Patients Treated with Imatinib Show Increased IFN-Gamma Synthesis in T Cells and Hypogammaglobulinemia.

Background: In patients with untreated chronid myeloid leukemia(CML), lymphopoesis has been affected and Th1 cytokine levels are decreased. Imatinib tretment for CML has been shown to induce clinical and cytogenetic remission and increases plasmocytoid dendritic cells, affects lymphopoesis. Flow cytometry has been used to detect Th1 IFN-gamma, IL-2 and Th2 IL-4 cytokines in T cells.

Methods: 10 patients with CML before imitinib treatment, 29 patients after at least 2 months imatinib treatment and 10 healthy controls were tested to detect Th1 IFN-gamma, IL-2 and Th2 IL-4 cytokines in T cells using FITC, PE, PerCP monoclonal antibodies by flow cytometry(FacsCalibur,B.D.). Also; IgG, IgM, IgA levels by nepholometry and lymphocytes subpopulations by flow cytometry were detected.

Results: 10 patients before imatinib treatment showed decreased Th1 IFN-gamma, IL-2 and Th2 IL-4 cytokines in T cells according to the controls (p<0.05). 29 patients after at least 2 months imatinib treatment showed increasing statistically important Th1 IFN-gamma cytokine but statistically insignificant increase IL-2 cytokine and Th2 IL-4 cytokines in T cells (Table 1). Hypogammaglobulinemia were developed 17% of the patients. No correlation was found imatinib treatment period and Th1 IFN-gamma, IL-2 and Th2 IL-4 cytokines in T cells.

Conclusions: Imatinib treatment increases Th1 IFN-gamma producing T cells and also causes hypogammaglogulinemia. This suggest that enhanced Th 1 cell function is achievable with imatinib treatment in patients with CML.

Percantage of Th1 IFN-gamma, IL-2 and Th2 IL-4 cells in CML patients and controls