Decreased expression of both FcγRII and FcγRIII mRNA in leukemic granulocytes

Morphologically mature granulocytes from patients with chronic myeloid leukemia exhibit a defect in internalization of heat-aggregated IgG. In this study, we investigate the status of the steady-state levels of the mRNA for the two receptors for IgG, FcγRII and FcγRIII, as a step towards understanding the molecular basis of the defect and in turn the discordant maturation of the leukemic cells. Our data show that the mRNA for both receptors is lower in the leukemic cells relative to the normal cells. This may be one of the causes for the defective endocytosis.