Abnormalities of immunoregulatory T cells in disorders of immune function.
We studied a five-year-old girl with several autoimmune disorders and a 16-year-old boy with acquired agammaglobulinemia to determine whether aberrations of immunoregulatory T cells could explain some instances of immunodeficiency or autoimmunity. The normal peripheral blood T-cell population, as defined by specific heteroantiserums, is 20 per cent TH2+ and 80 per cent TH2-. Human suppressor cells are TH2+, whereas helper cells are TH2-. In addition, each subset expresses Ia antigens upon activation. Our patient with autoimmune disease had no demonstrable TH2+ cells, and her lymphocytes could not be induced to suppress. Her circulating T cells were of an activated-helper phenotype, i.e., TH2-,Ia+. In contrast, in the boy with agammaglobulinemia, the T-cell population was predominantly of an activated-suppressor phenotype, i.e., TH2+,Ia+. This patient's T cells abrogated both his own and his histoidentical brother's B-cell secretion of immunoglobulins. We conclude that the characterization of T cells may provide insight into the causes of a number of abnormal immune states in man.
D000293:Adolescent; D000361:Agammaglobulinemia / Q000276:immunology*; D001327:Autoimmune Diseases / Q000276:immunology*; D001402:B-Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology; D002469:Cell Separation; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003208:Concanavalin A / Q000494:pharmacology; D005260:Female; D006462:Hemolytic Plaque Technique; D006801:Humans; D007136:Immunoglobulins / Q000378:metabolism; D008213:Lymphocyte Activation; D008297:Male; D008934:Mitogens / Q000494:pharmacology; D013601:T-Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology*; D050378:T-Lymphocytes, Regulatory / Q000276:immunology*
D007136:Immunoglobulins; D008934:Mitogens; D003208:Concanavalin A