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M Wetzler1, MR Baer1, SJ Stewart2, K Donohue3, L Ford1, CC Stewart2, EA Repasky4 & S Ferrone4
1Leukemia Section, Department of Medicine, Roswell Park Cancer Institute, Buffalo, NY, USA
2Laboratory of Flow Cytometry, Department of Pathology, Roswell Park Cancer Institute, Buffalo, NY, USA
3Department of Cancer Prevention, Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Roswell Park Cancer Institute, Buffalo, NY, USA
4Department of Immunology, Roswell Park Cancer Institute, Buffalo, NY, USA
Correspondence to: M Wetzler, Leukemia Section, Department of Medicine, Roswell Park Cancer Institute, Elm and Carlton Streets, Buffalo, NY, 14263, USA; Fax: 716 845 2343
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Human leukocyte antigens (HLA) class I molecules restrict the interaction between cytotoxic T cells and target cells. Abnormalities in HLA class I antigen expression and/or function may provide tumor cells with a mechanism for escaping immune surveillance and resisting T cell-based immunotherapies. The potential for applying T cell-based immunotherapy in the treatment of acute myeloid leukemia (AML) has stimulated interest in analyzing HLA class I antigen expression on leukemic blasts in this disease. Little information is available in the literature. We have analyzed HLA class I antigen expression on bone marrow samples from 25 newly diagnosed AML patients by indirect immunofluorescence staining with monoclonal antibodies. Five of these patients were also studied at relapse. Leukemic blasts were resolved from normal lymphocytes by staining with anti-CD45 antibody; CD45 expression is dim on leukemia cells, but bright on lymphocytes. HLA class I antigen expression was higher on leukemic blasts than on autologous lymphocytes in all but one case. Moreover, there was no significant change in HLA class I antigen expression at relapse. These results suggest that abnormalities in HLA class I antigens are infrequent in AML and should not represent a major obstacle to the application of T cell-based immunotherapies in this disease. Leukemia (2001) 15, 128–133.
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