[Characteristics of T-cell immunity in patients with acute leukemia]

To study a cytokine profile of cytotoxic T-cells and T-helpers at diagnosis of acute myeloid and lymphoblastic leukemia (AML and ALL) and at different stages of its treatment.

T-cell population of peripheral blood lymphocytes was studied in 19 AML patients at diagnosis, 13 AML patients in remission, 5 AML patients in developing recurrence and 5 ALL patients at diagnosis. The control group consisted of 10 healthy donors. A mononuclear fraction of peripheral blood cells was stained with monoclonal antibodies. Surface expression of CD3, CD4, CD8 antigens was estimated with the use of flow cytofluorimeter FACS Calibur. Part of the cells were cultured for production of activated lymphocytes. The cytokine profile of T-cells was investigated according to the modified method of Rostaing et al. in the population of CD3+CD8+ and CD3+CD8- T-cells using the flow cytofluorimeter FACS Calibur. The results were processed with the programs CellQuest and WinMDI, Statistica Module Switcher.

The percentage of CD3+CD8+ cells producing interferon-gamma (IF-g) was the same in AML patients and donors. The percentage of CD3+CD8- cells (T-helpers) producing IF-g was similar in the patients at diagnosis and in complete remission being higher than in healthy donors. The number of CD3+CD8- cells producing IF-g was reduced in recurrence while the number of CD3+CD8+ and CD3+CD8- cells producing interleukin-4 (IL-4) increased. In the onset of the disease, ALL patients had significantly increased percentage of CD3+CD8- IL-4 cells.

The results obtained evidence for different polarization of T-cell immunity in AML and ALL patients at the time of diagnosis, remission and recurrence: in the onset of AML there was an increase in the production of Th1--proinflammatory cytokines, in ALL--in percent of Th-2 cytokines. In AML recurrence the balance of cytokines shifted in the direction of Th-2 response.