Antibody-mediated killing of suppressor T lymphocytes as a possible cause of macroglobulinemia in the tropical splenomegaly syndrome.
To investigate the pathogenesis of macroglobulinemia in the tropical splenomegaly syndrome (TSS), we assessed the functional activity of B lymphocytes and T cell subsets in a pokeweed mitogen-driven assay of immunoglobulin synthesis. Mononuclear cells from patients with TSS produced more IgM than cells from village or from distant controls. This appeared to result from a decrease in the number and/or activity of suppressor T cells of the T8+ phenotype. The lack of functional suppressor T lymphocytes was associated with the presence in sera from patients with TSS of IgM antibodies that specifically killed T8+, 9.3-, 60.1+ T cells from normal donors. These results support the hypothesis that macroglobulinemia in TSS results from defective immunoregulatory control of B cell function, and that this may be caused by lysis of suppressor T cells by specific lymphocytotoxic antibodies produced by patients with this syndrome.
Piessens
W F
WF
Hoffman
S L
SL
Wadee
A A
AA
Piessens
P W
PW
Ratiwayanto
S
S
Kurniawan
L
L
Campbell
J R
JR
Marwoto
H A
HA
Laughlin
L L
LL
D000917:Antibody Formation; D000920:Antibody-Dependent Cell Cytotoxicity; D001323:Autoantibodies / Q000096:biosynthesis; D001327:Autoimmune Diseases / Q000276:immunology; D003602:Cytotoxicity, Immunologic; D006801:Humans; D007075:Immunoglobulin M / Q000096:biosynthesis; D007214:Indonesia; D008214:Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology; D008288:Malaria / Q000150:complications / Q000276:immunology; D013163:Splenomegaly / Q000276:immunology*; D013577:Syndrome; D006377:T-Lymphocytes, Helper-Inducer / Q000276:immunology; D050378:T-Lymphocytes, Regulatory / Q000276:immunology*; D014330:Tropical Medicine; D008258:Waldenstrom Macroglobulinemia / Q000276:immunology*
D001323:Autoantibodies; D007075:Immunoglobulin M