Acute myeloid leukemias with chromosomal abnormalities involving the 21q22 region identified by their in vitro responsiveness to interleukin-5.

Among 52 patients diagnosed as acute myeloid leukemia (AML), nine cases were found in which interleukin-5 (IL-5) induced a proliferative response in the leukemic cells, as measured by the stimulation of DNA synthesis or colony formation in vitro. All cases (n = 7) with the cytogenetic abnormality t(8;21)(q22;q22) belonged to this group of IL-5 responders. Of the additional two cases, one had an apparently normal karyotype, but the other expressed a dicentric chromosome 21, an abnormality also involving the breakpoint region 21q22. The leukemic cells of the IL-5 responsive patients could also be stimulated to proliferate by IL-3, GM-CSF and G-CSF, and in some cases by IL-6 or M-CSF. Immunophenotypic analysis revealed the presence of the immature hematopoietic cell antigen CD34, the myelomonocytic maturation antigens CD13 and CD33, in association with the B-cell related surface marker CD19 on the leukemic cells. Immunoglobulin mu and T-cell receptor beta-genes in the leukemic cells were in germline configuration. Upon incubation in colony culture, clonogenic cells were capable of producing progeny showing eosinophilic or neutrophilic maturation following stimulation with IL-5 or G-CSF, respectively. It is concluded that IL-5 responsive AML represents a subgroup of leukemia with distinct immunotypic and cytogenetic features.