Intracellular IFN‐γ expression by CD3+/CD8+ cell subset in B‐CLL patients correlates with stage of the disease

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Abstract
Abstract:  Changes in the cytokine network may be responsible for malignant cell accumulation in B‐cell chronic lymphocytic leukaemia (B‐CLL). Among different cytokines of question interferon gamma (IFN‐γ) is indicated to prevent malignant cells from entering apoptosis. The aim of the study was to determine IFN‐γ production capacity of T‐cell subsets and B lymphocytes in B‐CLL patients in comparison with healthy individuals and during disease progression. Forty patients with newly diagnosed, untreated B‐CLL and 20 healthy individuals were studied. The two‐ and three‐colour flow cytometry techniques were used to detect intracellular cytokine expression. We detected statistically significantly higher percentage of both CD3+/CD4+/IFN‐γ+ and CD3+/CD8+/IFN‐γ+ in patients than in controls (P < 0.001 in both cases). Moreover the percentage of CD3+/CD8+/IFN‐γ+ cells correlated with stage of the disease (R = 0.39, P = 0.01) and parameters of disease progression like lymphocyte count and total tumour mass score (R = 0.33, P = 0.03 and R = 0.31, P = 0.04, respectively). By contrast, the percentage of CD19+/IFN‐γ+ cells in B‐CLL group was lower than in controls (P < 0.01). These findings indicate that T‐cell populations rather than malignant B cells are the source of IFN‐γ in B‐CLL patients. The subset of CD3+/CD8+ cells expressing IFN‐γ seems to play a special role in the disease progression and more precise investigation should elucidate its role as a prognostic marker in B‐CLL and a target for therapeutic strategies.