Journal of Biological Research (Jan 2011)

A soluble form of CTLA-4 is present in serum of pediatric patients with acute lymphoblastic leukaemia

  • R. Simone,
  • C. Tenca,
  • F. Fais,
  • G. De Rossi,
  • G. Pesce,
  • M. Bagnasco,
  • D. Saverino

DOI
https://doi.org/10.4081/jbr.2011.4665
Journal volume & issue
Vol. 84, no. 1

Abstract

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CTLA-4 can regulate and maintain self-telerance, providing a negative signal limiting immunoresponses. Acute lymphoblastic leukemia is a clonal disorder of lymphoid progenitors representing the most frequent malignancy of childhood. Here, we show the presence of significantly elevated levels of a soluble form of CTLA-4 in 70% of B-ALL patients. A possible role of this soluble molecule in the pathogenesis of this neoplastic disease can be envisaged.

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