Hematopoietic progenitor cells from Fanconi anemia (FA) group C (FA-C) patients display hypersensitivity to the apoptotic effects of gamma interferon (IFN-gamma) and constitutively express a variety of IFN-dependent genes.
These IFN-gamma-induced apoptotic responses in HPC from the marrow of a child with FA of the C group (FA-C) and in FAC -/- mice occurred at significantly lower IFN doses (by an order of magnitude) than did the apoptotic responses of normal HPC.
The expression of lymphocyte surface markers as well as the production of interleukin-2 (IL-2) and interferon-gamma (IFN) by mitogen-stimulated peripheral blood mononuclear cells (MNC) have been studied in five children with constitutional aplastic anemia.