lactoferrin and Leukemia--Myelogenous--Chronic--BCR-ABL-Positive

A diaminobenzidine posttreatment employing osmium tetroxide and potassium ferrocyanide was successfully used to intensify the diaminobenzidine stain formed by photoconversion of immunofluorescent labelling. Lactoferrin labelled granules became visible following the photoconversion process. Adequate diaminobenzidine staining was obtained after irradiating the cytospin preparations with ultraviolet light for 30-40 min. The diaminobenzidine stain had advantages over the fluorescent stain owing to its greater stability, greater density, and ability to be intensified. The enhancement procedure intensified both the color and density of the diaminobenzidine product. Consequently, shorter irradiation times could be used. Osmium tetroxide solutions of 3-4% increased the intensity with minimal background staining. Ultrastructural immunogold cytochemistry on ultrathin sections confirmed the existence of the lactoferrin labelled structures observed by light microscopy of cytospin preparations indicating that these were secondary granules. The photomicroscopy procedures used in this study were simple to perform and could be applied to studies of other cellular antigens prior to using immunoultramicroscopy.

Topics: 3,3'-Diaminobenzidine; Adult; Cytoplasmic Granules; Ferrocyanides; Fluorescent Dyes; Humans; Immunohistochemistry; Lactoferrin; Leukemia, Myelogenous, Chronic, BCR-ABL Positive; Microscopy, Electron; Neutrophils; Osmium Tetroxide; Photochemistry; Ultraviolet Rays

Neutrophil granule subsets and dynamics were studied in 4 patients with polycythemia vera/myelofibrosis and 2 patients with chronic myelogenous leukemia. Alkaline phosphatase, a marker for the membrane of secretory vesicles (the most readily mobilizable pool of intracellular membranes in neutrophils) was highly elevated in the PV/MF patients and significantly reduced in the CML patients. In spite of this, the amount of secretory vesicles was normal as judged by the content of albumin, and of the membrane protein cytochrome b-245 and CD11b, both partially localized in secretory vesicles. Gelatinase granules were present in all patients. The azurophil granules were lighter than normal in both CML patients. SDS-PAGE protein profiles indicated absence of defensins from azurophil granules from 1 CML patient. In addition, a 41-42 kD doublet protein band was absent from 2 PV and 1 CML patient, and reduced in the other CML patient. No difference in mobilization of granules was observed between patient neutrophils and control neutrophils. Also, stimulation with 10(-8) mol/l N-formyl-methionyl-leucyl-phenylalanine induced normal increases in intracellular Ca2+ in patient neutrophils. These results indicate that stimulus-response coupling leading to granule exocytosis is intact in neutrophils from patients with myeloproliferative disorders.

Topics: Aged; Alkaline Phosphatase; Cell Fractionation; Centrifugation, Density Gradient; Cytoplasmic Granules; Endopeptidases; Female; Gelatinases; Humans; Lactoferrin; Leukemia, Myelogenous, Chronic, BCR-ABL Positive; Male; Middle Aged; Myeloproliferative Disorders; N-Formylmethionine Leucyl-Phenylalanine; Neutrophils; Polycythemia Vera; Primary Myelofibrosis; Transcobalamins

Lactoferrin is a member of the transferrin family of iron-binding proteins. It is found in several glandular epithelial tissues and human neutrophils, where it is localized to secondary granules. To examine the mechanisms controlling lactoferrin gene expression in neutrophils and defects in its expression in acute leukemia, we have cloned a lactoferrin cDNA from a chronic myelogenous leukemia library, and used it to obtain genomic clones representing the chromosomal lactoferrin gene. Using polymerase chain reaction, primer extension, and S1 analysis, we have identified the 5' end of the lactoferrin mRNA. We have defined a putative promoter region for the gene, and characterized its first two exons. In addition, we have examined the structure of these regions in DNA from HL60 cells. HL60 is a leukemic cell line that undergoes phenotypic neutrophil maturation on exposure to dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO). However, the cells cannot be induced to express any secondary granule protein genes. We have shown that the 5' end of the lactoferrin gene, including the putative promoter region, is entirely normal in HL60. By Northern analysis, nuclear run-on studies, and primer extension assays we have shown that the gene is not transcribed in DMSO-induced HL60 cells. This supports the hypothesis that the defect in HL60 is an abnormality in the production or activity of a transacting regulator of lactoferrin gene expression.

Topics: Amino Acid Sequence; Base Sequence; Blotting, Northern; Blotting, Southern; Cloning, Molecular; DNA; Humans; Lactoferrin; Leukemia, Myelogenous, Chronic, BCR-ABL Positive; Molecular Sequence Data; Polymerase Chain Reaction; Promoter Regions, Genetic; RNA, Messenger; Tumor Cells, Cultured

The iron-binding proteins lactoferrin (LF) and H-ferritin have been implicated in the negative regulation of myelopoiesis in vitro and in vivo. The present studies evaluated the functional activity of affinity-purified LF from polymorphonuclear neutrophils (PMN) of patients with chronic myelogenous leukemia (CML) and LF/H-ferritin-cell interactions in a nonleukemic patient with LF deficiency with normal levels of circulating blood leukocytes. Affinity-purified CML-PMN-LF was found to be qualitatively deficient as a suppressor of the release of colony-stimulating factors from mononuclear blood cells, adding to previous information from our group documenting defective LF-cell interactions in CML. LF was detected by immunoradiometric assay in PMN of the patient with LF deficiency, but at a much lower level than normal. This LF was found, however, to be active as a suppressor molecular against the patient's cells and normal donor cells. Patient cells were as responsive as normal cells to effects of purified milk LF. Decreased LF levels in this patient were associated with increased levels of monocyte H-ferritin inhibitory activity, consistent with the known suppressive effects in vitro of LF on H-ferritin release from monocytes. Patient marrow hematopoietic progenitor cells were as responsive as progenitors from normal donors to suppression by purified H-ferritin and prostaglandin E1. These results are consistent with a role of LF and H-ferritin in the control of myelopoiesis in this patient.

Topics: Alprostadil; Chromatography, Affinity; Colony-Forming Units Assay; Colony-Stimulating Factors; Depression, Chemical; Dinoprostone; Ferritins; Hematopoietic Stem Cells; Humans; Lactoferrin; Leukemia, Myelogenous, Chronic, BCR-ABL Positive; Leukocyte Count; Leukocytes, Mononuclear; Neutrophils; Secretory Rate

We have examined the ability of bryostatin 1 (bryo), an activator of protein kinase C, to induce differentiation of chronic myelogenous leukemia (CML) cells obtained from peripheral blood. Bryo induced a prompt and persistent macrophage-like differentiation, as evidenced by functional, morphological, and immunological criteria. Differentiated cells remained viable for at least 21 days with little change in cell number. CML cell cultures treated in semisolid medium with bryo showed diffuse infiltration with single macrophages, as well as discrete macrophage, mixed, and granulocytic colonies. Supernatants of suspension cultures of bryo-treated CML cells contained granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor (GM-CSF) by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. Furthermore, colony formation could be significantly inhibited by the addition of antibodies to GM-CSF. Prolonged liquid culture of CML cells in bryo reduced colony-forming unit, granulocyte-macrophage content. Bryo-induced differentiation was associated with a decrease in lactoferrin, a marker of granulocyte differentiation, and an increase in both c-fms and interleukin-1 beta RNA, both of which are expressed by monocytes/macrophages. These data demonstrate that bryostatin 1 is capable of inducing macrophage-like differentiation in maturing CML cells. Furthermore, bryostatin induces secretion of GM-CSF by such cells in suspension and semisolid medium and also promotes clonal extinction of granulocyte-macrophage progenitors. Bryostatin may be a possible therapeutic agent for CML.

Topics: Antineoplastic Agents; Blotting, Northern; Bryostatins; Cell Differentiation; Cell Division; Humans; Lactoferrin; Lactones; Leukemia, Myelogenous, Chronic, BCR-ABL Positive; Macrolides; Phagocytosis; RNA, Neoplasm; Tumor Cells, Cultured

In this study immuno-electron microscopy was used to assay, semi-quantitatively, the granule contents of elastase, lactoferrin, lysozyme and myeloperoxidase in human peripheral blood neutrophils from 13 chronic myeloid leukaemia patients in the chronic phase of the disease and from normal non-smoking donors. The fixation conditions that adequately preserved the antibody binding capacities of these antigens and reasonably preserved the ultrastructure of the neutrophils were selected by light-microscopic immunoperoxidase cytochemistry on cytospin smears. Immunogold cytochemistry on LR White resin sections localised elastase and myeloperoxidase to the primary granules, lactoferrin to the secondary granules and lysozyme to both types of granule. When applicable, peroxidase cytochemistry was combined with immunogold staining making it easier to distinguish the primary from the secondary granules. A comparison of the immunolabelling density values obtained for the leukaemic and normal states revealed no significant abnormalities in the immunoreactivity patterns for any of these neutrophil granule antigens in the leukaemic patients. All 13 patients gave normal immunostaining reactivities for these neutrophil granule proteins. Consequently the distribution patterns of these proteins, as shown in this study, cannot be used as indices in distinguishing chronic myeloid leukaemic neutrophils from normal neutrophils.

Topics: Adult; Blood Proteins; Cytoplasmic Granules; Female; Humans; Immunohistochemistry; Lactoferrin; Leukemia, Myelogenous, Chronic, BCR-ABL Positive; Male; Microscopy, Electron; Muramidase; Neoplasm Proteins; Neutrophils; Pancreatic Elastase; Peroxidase

Previous investigators have proposed that gelatinase, a metalloproteinase found in neutrophils, is stored in a novel secretory compartment distinct from the two major granule populations, azurophilic and specific. To locate this proteinase in human neutrophils we reacted the cells for peroxidase and then applied monospecific polyclonal antibodies to human neutrophil gelatinase to immunolabel ultrathin frozen sections using an immunogold technique. Gelatinase was localized in a population of peroxidase-negative granules. Double-labeling experiments using antibodies against lactoferrin, a marker for specific granules, and gelatinase demonstrated colocalization of the two antigens in 80% of the specific granules. However, some granules immunostained with only the lactoferrin or gelatinase antibody. Similar techniques were used to examine precursor cells from bone marrow. In myelocytes both gelatinase and lactoferrin were present in large developing specific granules; however, some mature specific granules contained only lactoferrin. Thus, it is possible that lactoferrin synthesis begins earlier than gelatinase synthesis and that overlapping synthesis and segregation occurs during the myelocyte stage. These findings suggest that the main storage compartment of gelatinase is within the peroxidase-negative specific granules.

Topics: Blotting, Western; Cytoplasmic Granules; Gelatinases; Humans; Immunohistochemistry; Immunosorbent Techniques; Lactoferrin; Leukemia, Myelogenous, Chronic, BCR-ABL Positive; Microscopy, Electron; Molecular Weight; N-Formylmethionine Leucyl-Phenylalanine; Neutrophils; Pepsin A; Peroxidase; Tetradecanoylphorbol Acetate