T-lymphoblasts with erythropoietic helper function in acute T-cell leukemia.
A patient with acute T-lymphoblastic leukemia was found to maintain a normal hemoglobin concentration both at presentation and preterminally several months later, despite a replaced bone marrow and over 80% circulating lymphoblasts on both occasions. Cell surface marker analysis demonstrated the T-lymphoblasts both at presentation and preterminally to belong to the T-helper subpopulation. In vitro culture studies demonstrated that the patient's T-lymphoblasts, as well as conditioned medium derived from these lymphoblasts, significantly stimulated normal bone marrow erythroid colony growth (CFU-E). These findings suggest that in this patient the preservation of erythropoiesis resulted from a helper effect exerted by his T-lymphoblasts.
Finlay
J L
JL
Department of Pediatrics, University of Wisconsin Center for Health Sciences, Madison 53792.
Ganick
D J
DJ
Shahidi
N
N
Borcherding
W
W
Hong
R
R
Sondel
P
P
D000971:Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols / Q000627:therapeutic use; D002450:Cell Communication; D002648:Child; D003114:Colony-Forming Units Assay; D015672:Erythroid Precursor Cells / Q000473:pathology; D004920:Erythropoiesis; D006801:Humans; D015459:Leukemia-Lymphoma, Adult T-Cell / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000503:physiopathology*; D008297:Male; D016176:T-Lymphocyte Subsets; D006377:T-Lymphocytes, Helper-Inducer / Q000502:physiology*