Enhanced chemosensitivity of clonogenic blasts from patients with acute myeloid leukemia by G-CSF, IL-3 or GM-CSF stimulation.

Exposure to hemopoietic growth factors (HGFs) induces proliferation of clonogenic acute myeloid leukemia (AML) cells. Recruitment of quiescent, clonogenic blasts may improve the cytotoxic effects of cell-cycle-specific drugs like cytosine arabinoside (Ara-C). Because other studies have shown heterogeneous effects of HGF and Ara-C incubation, we analyzed the individual effects of granulocyte colony-stimulating factor (G-CSF), interleukin 3 (IL-3), and granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor (GM-CSF) combined with an S-phase and non-phase specific cytostatic agent on clonogenic blasts of 14 newly diagnosed AML patients under standardized, serum-free conditions