Role of transferrin, Fe, and transferrin receptors in myeloid leukemia cell growth. Studies with an antitransferrin receptor monoclonal antibody.

In previous studies, antitransferrin receptor antibody 42/6 inhibited growth of normal granulocyte/macrophage progenitors and some malignant myeloid cells. In these studies, leukemia cell lines cultured without serum and fresh leukemia cells were used to investigate the roles of Fe, transferrin receptors, and transferrin in leukemia cell growth, and mechanisms of 42/6 inhibition and resistance. HL60 and KG-1 leukemia cells grown in serum-free medium were inhibited by 42/6. In contrast to results in fetal calf serum (FCS), soluble Fe (ferric nitriloacetate) reversed 42/6 growth inhibition of serum-free HL60 cells. When HL60 cells were adapted for growth in serum-free, transferrin-free medium, they became refractory to 42/6 growth inhibition. By using radiolabeled transferrin and 42/6, HL60 cells cultured in FCS and transferrin displayed similar quantities of transferrin receptors (29,000-30,000/cell) and similar Kd's (3.8-4.9 X 10(-9) M). Cells grown in transferrin-free medium showed a similar Kd (3.1 X 10(-9) M), but fewer transferrin binding sites (5,000/cell). Transferrin-independent cells contained a log higher concentration of intracellular ferritin. For both FCS and serum-free HL60 cells, calculated affinities for 42/6 were lower (5.7-10.0 X 10(-9) M), but the number of binding sites was three- to fourfold higher. To investigate further the relationship between receptor display and antibody inhibition in proliferating normal and malignant myeloid cells, simultaneous immunofluorescence was used to determine the cell cycle status of transferrin receptor-positive cells. Malignant cells in S + G2/M displayed approximately 50% of the amount of transferrin receptors detected in normal dividing colony-stimulating factor-stimulated marrow cells. Receptor display by dividing cells from two patients with acute nonlymphocytic leukemia was variable. When HL60 cells were exposed to dimethyl sulfoxide, transferrin receptor display decreased, and 42/6 growth inhibition was abrogated or greatly diminished. The presence of 42/6 did not prevent dimethyl sulfoxide-induced HL60 differentiation in serum-containing or serum-free cultures. We conclude that human leukemia cells require Fe for growth and that 42/6 inhibits transferrin-dependent cells by Fe deprivation. Some dividing normal and differentiating malignant cells display reduced transferrin receptors, and can also escape antibody inhibition. The increased ferritin levels and decreased transferrin receptors in transferrin-independent HL60 cells confirm the inverse relationship between cell ferritin content and transferrin receptor display. These studies indicate a critical role for Fe in leukemia cell growth and possible roles in cellular differentiation.