Cellular immunological defects of chronic myelogenous leukaemics: partial dependence on busulphan therapy

The PBMC from treated (n = 10) and untreated (n = 7) chronic phase CML patients were examined for their functional expression of helper cell-stimulating class II products, HLA-DR and -DP, and for their ability to induce suppression in normal PBMC. Although DR and DP were found to be functionally expressed in both groups of patients, a dysregulation of suppression induction was found in treated but not in untreated patients. Furthermore, the patients demonstrated a virtual absence of NK activity and severely depressed LAK activity which was equally striking in both treated and untreated patients and did not seem to be related to the presence of active suppression of cytotoxicity. Such defects in chronic phase CML patients may be relevant to the progression of their disease. Moreover, at least one of the cellular immunological defects, induction of suppressive cells, was not intrinsic to the disease, but appeared to be chemotherapy related.