Acute myeloid leukemia creates an arginase-dependent immunosuppressive microenvironment.

ABSTRACT: Acute myeloid leukemia (AML) is the most common acute leukemia in adults and the second most common frequent leukemia of childhood. Patients may present with lymphopenia or pancytopenia at diagnosis. We investigated the mechanisms by which AML causes pancytopenia and suppresses patients' immune response. This study identified for the first time that AML blasts alter the immune microenvironment through enhanced arginine metabolism. Arginase II is expressed and released from AML blasts and is present at high concentrations in the plasma of patients with AML, resulting in suppression of T-cell proliferation. We extended these results by demonstrating an arginase-dependent ability of AML blasts to polarize surrounding monocytes into a suppressive M2-like phenotype in vitro and in engrafted non

SUBMITTER: Mussai F 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC3731930 | biostudies-literature | 2013 Aug

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature