Natural Killer Cell Counts Are Associated With Molecular Relapse-Free Survival After Imatinib Discontinuation

Imatinib Discontinuation In Chronic Myeloid Leukemia: The IMMUNOSTIM Study

Despite leukemic stem cell persistence, patients with chronic myeloid leukaemia who achieve and maintain deep molecular responses may successfully stop the tyrosine kinase inhibitor imatinib. However, questions remain unanswered regarding the biological basis of molecular relapse after imatinib cessation. In IMMUNOSTIM, we monitored 51 patients from the French Stop IMatinib trial for peripheral blood T-cells and natural killer cells. 

http://www.haematologica.org/content/early/2017/05/11/haematol.2017.165001