Immunological Status of Chronic Myelogenous Leukemia Patients with Complete Cytogenetic Response after Treatment

Abstract

Background

The aim of this study was to compare the T lymphocyte subsets of chronic myelogenous leukemia (CML) patients who had a complete cytogenetic response (CCyR) after treatment with imatinib (IM) or homoharringtonine (HHT).

Methods

T and Th lymphocyte subsets in CCyR patients treated with HHT (n = 15) or IM (n = 16) were assayed with flow cytometry.

Results

It was found that there were no differences in T lymphocyte subset proportions at the time of achieving CCyR₀ and also no difference in the CD8⁺T cell proportions at the 12^th month after CCyR (CCyR₁₂), between the 2 groups. The values of CD3⁺T, CD4⁺T, CD8⁺T, CD4⁺T/CD8⁺T, Th1 and Th2 cells were 54.21% ± 6.12% vs. 44.32% ± 4.85%, 29.83% ± 5.53% vs. 22.27% ± 3.22%, 24.66 ± 4.91 vs. 25.41% ± 5.72%, 1.11 ± 0.23 vs. 0.92 ± 0.19, 10.23% ± 4.24% vs. 8.34% ± 3.45% and 11.12% ± 3.91% vs. 13.67% ± 4.78%, respectively in the HHT group and IM group at CCyR₁₂, which meant that the proportions of CD3⁺T, CD4⁺T and Th1 cells and the ratio of CD4⁺T to CD8⁺T cells were higher and the CD8⁺T and Th2 cell proportions were lower in the HHT group than in the IM group.

Conclusions

HHT has a weaker immunodepression effect on T lymphocyte subsets compared with IM.