High-level secretion of tumor necrosis factor-alpha contributes to
hematopoietic failure in hairy cell leukemia [see comments]
A Lindemann, WD Ludwig, W Oster, R Mertelsmann and F Herrmann
Department of Hematology, University of Mainz, FRG.
Hairy cell leukemia (HCL) is frequently associated with severe
pancytopenia. The authors detected high levels of tumor necrosis factor
(TNF)-alpha in the bone marrow serum of patients with HCL and found
anti-TNF-alpha neutralizing monoclonal antibodies (MoAbs) to be able to
enhance hematopoiesis of HCL patients in in vitro colony assays. As potent
producers of TNF-alpha, hairy cells could be identified, thus implicating
the malignant population in the pathogenesis of hematopoietic failure due
to inappropriate secretion of this cytokine.
Volume 73,
Issue 4,
pp. 880-884,
03/01/1989
Copyright © 1989 by The American Society of Hematology