Intrinsic B lymphocyte defect in untreated patients with Hodgkin's disease.
In vivo and in vitro humoral and cell-mediated immunological defects have been described in untreated patients with Hodgkin's disease (HD). The cellular basis of the recently described in vitro reduction of mitogen-induced immunoglobulin synthesis has not been elucidated so far. In this study, we attempted to dissect T and B lymphocyte function in untreated HD patients. Mitogen-induced in vitro immunoglobulin synthesis was assessed in the presence of pokeweed mitogen, the mitogenic anti-CD3 monoclonal antibody OKT3 and the relatively T-cell-independent B cell mitogen Nocardia opaca delipidated mitogen (NDCM). Mitogen-induced Ig synthesis by HD peripheral blood mononuclear cells was significantly reduced compared to that in control peripheral blood mononuclear cells. In coculture assays, T cells of HD patients exerted an adequate helper function to control B cells. However, normal donor T cells did not restore Ig synthesis by B cells of HD patients. Finally, B cells of HD patients were unresponsive to NDCM, which is able to induce Ig synthesis in control B cells even in the absence of T cells. These data provide evidence for an intrinsic functional B lymphocyte defect in HD patients, and suggest that increased activation of suppressor HD T lymphocytes may not play a significant role in the suppression of in vitro Ig synthesis.
Griesinger
F
F
Department of Internal Medicine, Johann Wolfgang Goethe Universität Frankfurt, Frankfurt/Main, Federal Republic of Germany.
Bergmann
L
L
Barot-Ciorbaru
R
R
Mitrou
P S
PS
D000917:Antibody Formation / Q000187:drug effects; D016175:B-Lymphocyte Subsets / Q000276:immunology; D001402:B-Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology*; D006689:Hodgkin Disease / Q000276:immunology*; D006801:Humans; D008213:Lymphocyte Activation; D008934:Mitogens; D009615:Nocardia / Q000276:immunology; D016176:T-Lymphocyte Subsets / Q000276:immunology
D008934:Mitogens