The effect of fludarabine on interferon-gamma production by lymphoid cells from healthy donors and patients with B-cell chronic lymphocytic leukemia.

GAMBERALE ROMINA; PAULA FERNANDEZ CALOTTI; JULIO SANCHEZ AVALOS; MARÍA FABIANA ALBERTO; GEFFNER JORGE; MIRTA GIORDANO

HAEMATOLOGICA

Año: 2006 vol. 91 p. 574 - 576

0390-6078

Fludarabine treatment in patients with B-cell chronic lymphocytic leukemia (B-CLL) can trigger or exacerbate the development of autoimmune hemolytic anemia (AHA) through a currently ill-defined mechanism. We here show that exposure of peripheral blood lymphocytes from healthy donors and B-CLL patients to fludarabine increases in vitro production of interferon-gamma, a key cytokine in the pathogenesis of AHA.