title: In vitro OKT3-induced mitogenesis in selenium-deficient patients on a diet for phenylketonuria.
abstract: Patients with phenylketonuria (PKU) are frequently deficient in the essential trace element selenium (Se), because of their very low protein diet. Using two approaches to investigate T-cell response to proliferative signaling, viz, mitogenesis caused by the monoclonal antibody OKT3 and the plant lectin phytohaemagglutinin (PHA), we demonstrated significantly reduced responses to optimal concentrations of OKT3 in a group of PKU patients with reduced serum Se compared with a normal group (p = 0.0005) and with a group of PKU patients whose serum Se was normal (p = 0.0023). The response of the Se-deficient group to optimal levels of PHA did not differ from that of the normal controls or from that of Se-normal PKU patients. A dose-dependent relationship between serum Se levels and mitogenic response was evident for OKT3 (r = 0.34, p = 0.0154), but not for PHA (r = -0.02, p = 0.9086). We suggest that the reduced response to OKT3 mitogenesis in Se-deficient PKU patients is possibly the consequence of impaired Se-dependent metabolic activity, which affects mitogenic signaling via the T cell antigen receptor (TCR/CD3) complex.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathology, Royal Brisbane Hospital, Herston, Australia.
authors.forename: R J
authors.initials: RJ
authors.lastname: Collins
authors.forename: P J
authors.initials: PJ
authors.lastname: Boyle
authors.forename: A E
authors.initials: AE
authors.lastname: Clague
authors.forename: A E
authors.initials: AE
authors.lastname: Barr
authors.forename: S C
authors.initials: SC
authors.lastname: Latham
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000945:Antigens, Differentiation, T-Lymphocyte; D017252:CD3 Complex; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D005260:Female; D005978:Glutathione / Q000378:metabolism; D006801:Humans; D066298:In Vitro Techniques; D008213:Lymphocyte Activation; D016853:Muromonab-CD3; D010661:Phenylketonurias / Q000178:diet therapy / Q000276:immunology* / Q000378:metabolism; D010835:Phytohemagglutinins; D011948:Receptors, Antigen, T-Cell; D012643:Selenium / Q000097:blood / Q000172:deficiency* / Q000276:immunology; D013601:T-Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology
chemical_list: D000945:Antigens, Differentiation, T-Lymphocyte; D017252:CD3 Complex; D016853:Muromonab-CD3; D010835:Phytohemagglutinins; D011948:Receptors, Antigen, T-Cell; D005978:Glutathione; D012643:Selenium