Indoleamine 2,3-dioxygenase activity of acute myeloid leukemia cells can be measured from patients’ sera by HPLC and is inducible by IFN-γ

The enzyme indoleamine 2,3-dioxygenase (IDO) converts tryptophan to kynurenine, blocking T-cell activation and inducing immunosuppression. In patients with acute myeloid leukemia (AML), the serum kynurenine/tryptophan ratio (Kyn/Trp) was raised, suggesting a higher IDO activity than in healthy people. Patients with higher Kyn/Trp ratios showed lower survival. IDO activity was also detected in AML cells after exposure to IFN-γ in vitro, suggesting that the higher Kyn/Trp ratio in serum of AML patients might have resulted from stimulated leukemic blast cells. Thus, in AML, the activity of IDO can be easily monitored, providing a tool for future clinical testing of IDO-blocking drugs.