RSS Feeds
Ki-Lymphoma and Interleukin-6
- Ichiro Kubonishi, MD;
- Hisanori Machida, MD; and
- Isao Miyoshi, MD
The Editors welcome submissions for possible publication in the Letters section. Authors of letters should:
•Include no more than 300 words of text, three authors, and five references
•Type with double-spacing
•Send three copies of the letter, an authors' form signed by all authors, and a cover letter describing any conflicts of interest related to the contents of the letter.
Letters commenting on an Annals article will be considered if they are received within 6 weeks of the time the article was published. Only some of the letters received can be published. Published letters are edited and may be shortened; tables and figures are included only selectively. Authors will be notified that the letter has been received. If the letter is selected for publication, the author will be notified about 3 weeks before the publication date. Unpublished letters cannot be returned.
Annals welcomes electronically submitted letters.
TO THE EDITOR:
Preti and colleagues report that the serum interleukin-6 level is closely correlated with prognosis in patients with diffuse large-cell lymphoma [1]. We are intrigued by this report because we recently encountered two patients with Ki-1 (CD30) antigen-positive lymphoma (Ki-1 lymphoma) who had high serum interleukin-6 levels (180 pg/mL and 202 pg/mL; normal < 4 pg/mL) and an aggressive clinical course. Ki-1 lymphoma is a new disease recognized by its distinct morphologic features and reactivity to a monoclonal antibody to the Ki-1 molecule [2, 3]. It is classified as an anaplastic large-cell lymphoma in the revised European-American classification of lymphoid neoplasms and is considered to be a moderately aggressive but potentially curable disease [4]. One of our patients with Ki-1 lymphoma was a 40-year-old man with CD4-positive T-cell phenotype, and the other was a 53-year-old man with CD19-positive B-cell phenotype [5]. They died with disseminated disease 7 months and 1.5 months, respectively, after diagnosis, despite intensive combination chemotherapy with cyclophosphamide, adriamycin, vincristine, and prednisolone (Table 1).
To further investigate the nature of the disease, we attempted to culture the patients' lymphoma cells in vitro by using medium that contained interleukin-6, 10 to 20 ng/mL. Two continuously growing Ki-1 lymphoma cell lines-DL-95 (CD4+) and DL-110 (CD19+)-that were initially dependent on interleukin-6 were successfully established. No expression of interleukin-6 gene messenger RNA or production of interleukin-6 from these cells was seen. However, expression of messenger RNA of the interleukin-6 receptor gene was demonstrated in both cell lines by polymerase chain reaction analysis, and interleukin-6 was shown to stimulate the growth of Ki-1 lymphoma cells in vitro by a paracrine mechanism through the interleukin-6 receptor.
These results suggest that high serum levels of interleukin-6 played a role in the disseminated proliferation of lymphoma cells and aggressive clinical course in our patients. Further studies are necessary to elucidate the mechanism and significance of high serum interleukin-6 levels in Ki-1 lymphoma. Monitoring of serum interleukin-6 levels may predict early disease progression, and interleukin-6 antagonists would be of value in the treatment of this aggressive disease.
Ichiro Kubonishi, MD
Hisanori Machida, MD
Isao Miyoshi, MD
Kochi Medical School; Kochi 783, Japan
The Editors welcome submissions for possible publication in the Letters section. Authors of letters should:
•Include no more than 300 words of text, three authors, and five references
•Type with double-spacing
•Send three copies of the letter, an authors' form signed by all authors, and a cover letter describing any conflicts of interest related to the contents of the letter.
Letters commenting on an Annals article will be considered if they are received within 6 weeks of the time the article was published. Only some of the letters received can be published. Published letters are edited and may be shortened; tables and figures are included only selectively. Authors will be notified that the letter has been received. If the letter is selected for publication, the author will be notified about 3 weeks before the publication date. Unpublished letters cannot be returned.
Annals welcomes electronically submitted letters.
- Copyright ©2004 by the American College of Physicians
