Expression of interleukin-2 receptor beta subunit in hematopoietic
malignancies
A Rosolen, M Nakanishi, DG Poplack, D Cole, R Quinones, G Reaman, JB Trepel, JD Cotelingam, EA Sausville and GE Marti
Pediatric Branch, NCI, Bethesda, MD 20892.
The expression of the interleukin-2 (IL-2) receptor was studied in
neoplastic cells derived from acute leukemias, T-cell lymphoblastic
lymphomas, peripheral T-cell lymphomas, chronic lymphocytic leukemias,
well-differentiated lymphocytic lymphomas, and established cell lines by
both flow cytometric analysis and sodium dodecyl sulfate/polyacrylamide gel
electrophoresis (SDS-PAGE) after affinity crosslinking of radiolabeled
IL-2. Cells from most acute leukemias (19 of 22), irrespective of their
subtype (T, common or nonlymphoid leukemias), as well as T-cell
lymphoblastic lymphomas and peripheral T- cell lymphomas expressed only the
p70-75 beta subunit of the IL-2 receptor. Cells from the more mature B-cell
neoplasms, chronic lymphocytic leukemia, and well-differentiated
lymphocytic lymphoma, expressed predominantly alpha beta IL-2 receptors (11
of 14). In contrast to these results, most cell lines established from
hematopoietic malignancies do not express either chain of the IL-2
receptor. Further studies are necessary to determine the exact function of
the IL-2R p70-75 beta subunit in immature hematopoietic cells, but its wide
distribution throughout the hematopoietic system suggests that IL-2 may
play a role in the early stages of hematopoiesis.
Volume 73,
Issue 7,
pp. 1968-1972,
05/15/1989
Copyright © 1989 by The American Society of Hematology
