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The role of cytokines in haematopoiesis
Author(s) -
Schwarzmeier Josef D.
Publication year - 1996
Publication title -
european journal of haematology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.904
H-Index - 84
eISSN - 1600-0609
pISSN - 0902-4441
DOI - 10.1111/j.1600-0609.1996.tb01649.x
Subject(s) - haematopoiesis , immunology , granulocyte , medicine , tumor necrosis factor alpha , granulocyte macrophage colony stimulating factor , aplastic anemia , peripheral blood mononuclear cell , colony stimulating factor , cytokine , biology , stem cell , bone marrow , biochemistry , genetics , in vitro
Cytokines, by definition, exert an effect on haematopoiesis. Diseases characterized by haematopoietic insufficiency, such as aplastic anaemia, should therefore be investigated for abnormal expression of these regulatory proteins. In studies on hairy cell leukaemia, a severe deficiency was found in the production of interleukin‐3 (IL‐3), granulocyte‐macrophage colony stimulating factor (GM‐CSF), granulocyte CSF, IL‐6 and tumour necrosis factor α (TNFα). Further studies on IL‐6 at the mRNA and protein levels revealed that peripheral blood mononuclear cells and even hairy cells could be stimulated by interferon α (IFNα) to produce IL‐6. It is interesting to speculate on the beneficial effects of IFNα therapy on the expansion of normal haematopoiesis and suppression or even elimination of malignant cells. Studies on a patient with angio‐immunoblastic lymphadenopathy, another disease showing haematopoietic insufficiency, who developed severe aplastic anaemia, showed massive increases in IFNγ and TNFα levels in serum; IL‐6 and GM‐CSF levels were below the limit of detection. These results correlated with an abnormal distribution of CD4 + and CD8 + T lymphocytes in the patient's blood and were compatible with the suppressive effects of IFNγ and TNFα on haematopoiesis.