Graft versus leukemia effect after transplantation with interleukin-2-activated bone marrow. Correlation with eradication of residual disease.

IL-2 has been used after autologous BMT (ABMT) with the aim of inducing graft versus leukemia (GVL) effect. Our studies in mice have shown that IL-2 therapy induces GVL effect when employed after BMT with bone marrow (BM) that has been activated with IL-2 in vitro (ABM). The present study was carried out to define the time of optimal GVL effect after BMT so that the immunomodulatory approaches could be concentrated at the time of maximum GVL effect. Our data show that GVL effect was induced if IL-2 was instituted immediately after BMT with ABM in mice with acute myeloid leukemia; institution of IL-2 1 week after BMT with ABM did not induce GVL effect. IL-2 therapy instituted immediately or 1 week after BMT with fresh bone marrow (FBM) did not induce any GVL effect. A significant increase in the NK activity was noticed whether IL-2 was instituted immediately or 1 week after BMT, either with FBM or with ABM. To evaluate the ability of IL-2 in the eradication of residual disease from the autograft and the host, BM with variable infiltration with leukemia was activated with IL-2 and used for BMT in leukemic mice. The GVL effect of BM with minimal leukemic infiltration (absence of morphologically demonstrable disease) was comparable to the GVL effect of normal BM. These findings suggest that: (a) maximum GVL effect after BMT with ABM is concentrated in the early post-transplant period possibly because of minimal residual disease during this time; (b) an increase in the NK activity induced by IL-2 therapy may not predict for an improved GVL effect; and (c) for optimum GVL effect, BM with minimal leukemic infiltration should be activated with IL-2 before BMT.

Lymphokine-activated killer cells in autologous bone marrow transplantation. Evidence against inhibition of engraftment in vivo.

Lymphokine activated killer cells have potent antitumor effect both in vitro and in vivo. They have been reported to suppress bone marrow (BM) progenitor cell activity (PCA) in vitro, thus raising concern about the feasibility of their use after autologous bone marrow transplantation. The present study was carried out to evaluate the effect of LAK cells on BM engraftment in a syngeneic BMT setting in mice. LAK cells supplemented with or without exogenous interleukin-2 therapy did not impair the hematopoietic reconstitution or survival of mice undergoing BMT. LAK cells also did not reduce the PCA of the engrafted BM. LAK cell therapy did not cause graft-versus-host disease. Finally, LAK cells supplemented with IL-2 therapy improved the graft-versus-leukemia effect. These findings suggest that LAK cells plus IL-2 therapy after BMT does not impede hematopoiesis and should be evaluated as an adjuvant therapy with the aim of eradication of minimal residual disease after autologous BMT.

Interleukin-2 (IL-2) and IL-2-activated bone marrow in transplantation: evaluation from a clinical perspective.

Incubation of bone marrow (BM) with interleukin-2 (IL-2) in vitro results in generation of killer cells providing a tool for enhancing the graft-versus-tumor effect in transplantation. We have evaluated the influence of IL-2 on the progenitor cell activity (PCA), homing pattern of BM and hemopoiesis in a syngeneic bone marrow transplantation (BMT) model in mice. The PCA index and homing pattern of BM activated with IL-2 in vitro for 24 h (ABM) were similar to those of fresh bone marrow (FBM). In vitro culture of BM for more than 1 day resulted in progressive decline in its PCA index; this was not related to the presence or absence of IL-2 in the culture medium. Toxicity of IL-2 was related to the dose and not the time of institution of IL-2 therapy after BMT. Maximum tolerated dose of IL-2 instituted immediately after BMT was 10 times higher than the dose in a non-BMT setting. The pattern of marrow reconstitution following BMT with ABM was comparable to that with FBM. This study shows that BMT with BM activated with IL-2 for 24 h results in normal hemopoiesis, and IL-2 therapy instituted immediately after BMT with ABM does not cause additional toxicity.