OBJECTIVE To study the mechanism of IFN on CML.METHODS Samples of 15 CML patients and 10 healthy controlswere studied. The flow cytometry was performed to identifycirculating pDCs. The concentration of IFN-α in serum and that inthe supernatant of peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs)cultured after stimulation with CpG ODN2216 were examinedboth in CML patients and in the healthy controlsRESULTS There was significant reduction in the numberof circulating pDCs, serum concentration of IFN-α and thecapacity of IFN-α producing PBMCs in CML patients comparedwith those in healthy control individuals (P < 0.001). After theactive treatment with IFN-α and hydroxyurea, the quantity andfunction of pDCs were increased in stabilized patients, especiallythe function of pDCs in 2 patients achieving major cytogeneticresponse (MCR). The proportion and function of pDCs and theserum levels of IFN were inversely correlated with both WBC andage of the patients with CML, and positively correlated with thestate of the illness.CONCLUSION CML patients had a reduced number anddysfunction of circulating pDCs. The active treatment with IFN inCML patients may be related to the restoration of pDCs.
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