Functional studies of cell-mediated immunity in haemophilia and other bleeding disorders.
Defects of immunoregulation which occur in haemophilia, reflected by numerical changes in T lymphocyte subsets, have been further investigated in functional studies. Polyclonal T-cell activation by the mitogen phytohaemagglutinin (PHA) and specific stimulation by cytomegalovirus (CMV) or herpes simplex type 2 (HSV-2) in previously sensitized subjects were studied in peripheral blood lymphocyte and in T4-cell-enriched cultures. Compared with 12 controls, the responses of 11 patients (nine with haemophilia A and two with von Willebrand's disease) to PHA were significantly reduced both in unfractionated and in T4-cell-enriched peripheral blood lymphocyte cultures. Reduced responses to PHA were found in HIV (HTLV III)-seronegative as well as -seropositive patients. There were no significant differences between the response of patients' unfractionated and T4-enriched peripheral blood lymphocytes to CMV/HSV-2 recall antigen and the control subjects, although there was evident variation in the magnitude of patients' unfractionated and T4-enriched lymphocyte responses.
Mahir
W S
WS
Department of Haematology, St George's Hospital Medical School, London.
Millard
R E
RE
Booth
J C
JC
Flute
P T
PT
D000956:Antigens, Viral / Q000276:immunology; D003587:Cytomegalovirus / Q000276:immunology; D005260:Female; D006467:Hemophilia A / Q000276:immunology*; D006801:Humans; D007111:Immunity, Cellular; D008213:Lymphocyte Activation; D008297:Male; D010835:Phytohemagglutinins / Q000494:pharmacology; D018139:Simplexvirus / Q000276:immunology; D013601:T-Lymphocytes / Q000187:drug effects / Q000276:immunology; D014842:von Willebrand Diseases / Q000276:immunology*
D000956:Antigens, Viral; D010835:Phytohemagglutinins