The efficient generation of CD83 positive immunocompetent dendritic cells from CD14 positive acute myelomonocytic or monocytic leukemia cells in vitro.

The ability of leukemic cells to differentiate to mature dendritic cells (DCs) was investigated in six acute myelomonocytic or monocytic leukemia cases. It was found that CD14 positive cells were more efficiently changed to CD83 positive mature typed DCs with granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor (GM-CSF)/interleukin-4 (IL-4) and tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-alpha) compared with CD14 negative cells. Such leukemia derived DCs expressed a sufficient level of costimulatory molecules (CD80 and CD86), and were shown to be monoclonal based on an the X-inactivation analysis. They also stimulated not only allo- but auto-T lymphocytes, which thereafter became cytotoxic T lymphocytes (CTLs).