Serum interleukin-2 (IL-2), soluble IL-2 receptors and tumor necrosis factor-alfa levels are significantly increased in acute myeloid leukemia patients.

Serum interleukin-2 (IL-2), soluble IL-2 receptors (sIL-2R) and tumor necrosis factor-alfa (TNF-alpha) levels were determined in 66 previously untreated consecutive patients with acute myeloid leukemia (AML) and in 22 normal volunteers. The following mean (+/- SE) values were observed in patients and controls, respectively: 35 +/- 14.7 (range 0.5-500) and 0.7 +/- 0.02 (0.5-0.8 U/ml for IL-2 (p = 0.001); 1622 +/- 289 (110-10,600) and 422 +/- 30 (207-666) U/ml for sIL-2R (p = 0.0001); 1247 +/- 196 (218-4672) and 152 +/- 11 (75-308) pg/ml for TNF-alpha (p = 0.0001). With respect to the FAB classification system, we found a significantly different distribution of serum IL-2 mean values in distinct subcategories, i.e. 3.4 +/- 1.9 U/ml in M1-M2-M3 and 42.4 +/- 20.4 U/ml in M4-M5 subgroups, respectively (p = 0.01), whereas sIL-2R and TNF-alpha levels were 1144 +/- 322 U/ml and 1120 +/- 317 pg/ml in M1-M2-M3 patients and 1945 +/- 317 U/ml and 1270 +/- 259 pg/ml in the M4-M5 group. A significantly positive correlation between TNF-alpha and sIL-2R (r = 0.53; p = 0.002) was also detected in the M4-M5 group. Sixty-three out of 66 patients received an intensive chemotherapy program. Univariate analysis showed that age and sIL-2R greater than 2000 U/ml significantly affected both complete remission rate and overall survival, whereas by multivariate analysis, age was the only independent variable significantly influencing survival. These data confirm recent in vitro evidence suggesting the role of IL-2, sIL-2R, and TNF-alpha in the control of normal hematopoiesis and leukemogenesis. Since the availability of recombinant cytokines for clinical use in AML, it is crucial to understand their spectrum of interaction in order to select the appropriate combination for in vivo administration.