In patients suffering from DBA, who are resistant to corticosteroids and transfusion-dependent, alternative therapies are used. One of them is IL-3 treatment. IL-3,the product of activated T lymphocytes is known as an inductor of multipotentially progenitor cells in bone marrow. Its action concerned erythroid as well as lymphoid and myeloid progenitors. The aim of the study was to evaluate the influence of rhIL-3 on peripheral blood subpopulation of lymphocytes in 4 transfusion-dependent DBA patients. In 4 children, aged 2 to 12 years, a level of T, B and NK lymphocytes was assessed, before and after treatment with IL-3. Cell count were evaluated on flow cytometer (Epics XL, Coulter) using monoclonal antibodies (Dako and Coulter). rhIL-3 (Sandoz) was administered in one daily dose 2.5ug/kg/d, subcutaneously for 4 - 6 weeks. After rhIL-3 therapy in 2 out of 4 children a slight increase in CD3 cells and double increase in CD3CD4 (23%vs42%, 23%vs 49%) have been found. Since the increase in CD3CD8 cells was lower than CD4, the ratio CD4 to CD8 was improved. In 3 out of 4 children there also was an increse in CD8CD11 cells. In all rhIL-3 treated children NK cells (CD8CD56) appeared and an increase of the percentage of other blood cells expressed NCAM (CD56). rhIL-3 therapy was without effect on decreased percentage of B lymphocytes in 3 out of 4 children. In 1 out of 2 children with T lymphocytes normalization clinical improvement was observed after rhIL-3 therapy. Presented results support the suggestion that besides its influence on erythroid progenitors rhIL-3 has also a slight positive effect on T lymphocyte disorders observed in DBA children.
