Tyrosine kinase inhibitors impair B-cell immune responses in CML through off-target inhibition of kinases important for cell signaling

Blood. 2013 Jul 11;122(2):227-38. doi: 10.1182/blood-2012-11-465039. Epub 2013 May 29.

Abstract

Tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKIs) have significant off-target multikinase inhibitory effects. We aimed to study the impact of TKIs on the in vivo B-cell response to vaccination. Cellular and humoral responses to influenza and pneumococcal vaccines were evaluated in 51 chronic phase chronic myeloid leukemia (CML) patients on imatinib, or second-line dasatinib and nilotinib, and 24 controls. Following vaccination, CML patients on TKI had significant impairment of IgM humoral response to pneumococcus compared with controls (IgM titer 79.0 vs 200 U/mL, P = .0006), associated with significantly lower frequencies of peripheral blood IgM memory B cells. To elucidate whether CML itself or treatment with TKI was responsible for the impaired humoral response, we assessed memory B-cell subsets in paired samples collected before and after imatinib therapy. Treatment with imatinib was associated with significant reductions in IgM memory B cells. In vitro coincubation of B cells with plasma from CML patients on TKI or with imatinib, dasatinib, or nilotinib induced significant and dose-dependent inhibition of Bruton's tyrosine kinase and indirectly its downstream substrate, phospholipase-C-γ2, both important in B-cell signaling and survival. These data indicate that TKIs, through off-target inhibition of kinases important in B-cell signaling, reduce memory B-cell frequencies and induce significant impairment of B-cell responses in CML.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Adult
  • Agammaglobulinaemia Tyrosine Kinase
  • Aged
  • Antineoplastic Agents / adverse effects*
  • Antineoplastic Agents / therapeutic use
  • B-Lymphocytes / drug effects
  • B-Lymphocytes / immunology
  • CD4-Positive T-Lymphocytes / immunology
  • CD8-Positive T-Lymphocytes / immunology
  • Case-Control Studies
  • Dose-Response Relationship, Drug
  • Female
  • Humans
  • Immunoglobulin Class Switching / drug effects
  • Immunoglobulin Class Switching / immunology
  • Immunoglobulin M / blood
  • Immunoglobulin M / immunology
  • Immunologic Memory / drug effects
  • Influenza Vaccines / immunology
  • Leukemia, Myelogenous, Chronic, BCR-ABL Positive / drug therapy
  • Leukemia, Myelogenous, Chronic, BCR-ABL Positive / enzymology*
  • Leukemia, Myelogenous, Chronic, BCR-ABL Positive / immunology*
  • Male
  • Middle Aged
  • Phospholipase C gamma / antagonists & inhibitors
  • Phosphorylation / drug effects
  • Pneumococcal Vaccines / immunology
  • Protein Kinase Inhibitors / adverse effects*
  • Protein Kinase Inhibitors / therapeutic use
  • Protein Kinases / metabolism*
  • Protein-Tyrosine Kinases / antagonists & inhibitors
  • Protein-Tyrosine Kinases / metabolism
  • Signal Transduction / drug effects*

Substances

  • Antineoplastic Agents
  • Immunoglobulin M
  • Influenza Vaccines
  • Pneumococcal Vaccines
  • Protein Kinase Inhibitors
  • Protein Kinases
  • Protein-Tyrosine Kinases
  • Agammaglobulinaemia Tyrosine Kinase
  • Phospholipase C gamma