NK 细胞亚群特征与慢性髓系白血病成功停用酪氨酸激酶抑制剂的相关性及干扰素治疗后的变化

Recent studies have shown that approximately 50% of patients with chronic myeloid leukemia (CML) receiving tyrosine kinase inhibitor (TKI) therapy with a sustained deep molecular response (DMR) (BCR-ABL1 IS 0. 01%) can achieve treatment-free remission (TFR, stopping TKI without relapse) and that prior interferon (IFN)- therapy and higher NK cell counts at and after TKI discontinuation are associated with TFR.

We recently reported that post-TKI discontinuation of IFN- therapy could prevent molecular relapse (MR, BCR-ABL1 IS > 0. 1%).

Here, we evaluated whether NK cells are associated with MR and investigated the effects of post-TKI discontinuation IFN- therapy on lymphocyte subsets. A total of 34 patients measuring blood lymphocyte subclasses were included. In the 22 patients who did not receive IFN- therapy, at 1 month after TKI discontinuation, the nonrelapsed patients showed a significantly higher proportion and count of NK cells than the relapsed patients.

In particular, the proportion and count of CD56dim NK cells were significantly higher in the nonrelapsed patients than in the relapsed patients. In the 12 patients who received IFN- therapy, the level of CD56bright NK cells increased significantly after 3 and 6 months of IFN- therapy. In summary, NK cells, in particular CD56dim NK cells, were associated with MR after TKI discontinuation in patients with CML.

Additionally, IFN- therapy gradually increased the level of CD56bright NK cells in patients with CML.