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Non-classical antileukemia activity of early recovering NK cells after induction chemotherapy and HLA-identical stem cell transplantation in myeloid leukemias

Leukemia volume 20, pages 1632–1633 (2006)Cite this article

We read with interest the recent article by Behl et al.,1 showing a beneficial effect of high absolute lymphocyte counts after induction chemotherapy on overall survival and leukemia-free survival (LFS) in patients with acute myelogenous leukemia. The authors’ speculation that the effect was related to an antileukemic role of reconstituting natural killer (NK) cells is plausible, as T-cell immunological reconstitution is profoundly impaired in patients undergoing intensive chemotherapy.2

Our own investigations of the antileukemia activity of human leukocyte antigen (HLA)-matched and autologous NK cells in myelogenous leukemia after allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (SCT) also support a role for autologous NK cells in myeloid malignancies.3, 4 The missing self-hypothesis5 does not explain the antileukemic activity of autologous or allogeneic HLA-matched NK cells, as myelogenous leukemia cells always retain HLA class I antigen expression.6 However, we and others found that HLA-matched or autologous NK cells can induce leukemia cell elimination in vitro and in vivo through ligands of NK-activating receptors on myeloid leukemia cells, suggesting a role of NK cells in graft-versus-leukemia (GVL) activity in HLA-identical sibling SCT.3, 7

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References

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. CNR Institute For Organ Transplantation and Immunocitology, Rome, Italy

    G Sconocchia

  2. Department of Pediatrics, School of Medicine, University of Tor Vergata, Rome, Italy

    D del Principe

  3. Stem Cell Allotransplantation Section, Hematology Branch, National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA

    A J Barrett

Authors
  1. G Sconocchia
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  2. D del Principe
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  3. A J Barrett
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Correspondence to G Sconocchia.

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Sconocchia, G., del Principe, D. & Barrett, A. Non-classical antileukemia activity of early recovering NK cells after induction chemotherapy and HLA-identical stem cell transplantation in myeloid leukemias. Leukemia 20, 1632–1633 (2006). https://doi.org/10.1038/sj.leu.2404300

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