title: Suppressor T cell numbers and function in atopic patients with high serum IgE levels.
abstract: Suppressor T cell function and the sensitivity of lymphocyte transformation to histamine has been studied in 9 atopic patients with high serum IgE levels and in 14 controls. The effect of concanavalin A (Con A) induced suppressor T cells on the proliferative response of fresh lymphocytes to mitogens and antigens was measured; in atopic subjects the median suppression to 5.0 micrograms/ml Con A was 80% to 1.0 microgram/ml Phytohaemagglutinin (PHA) was 73%, to Dermatophagoides pteronyssinus extract was 45% and to streptokinase--streptodornase was 24%. Indomethacin increased lymphocyte proliferation to mitogens, but to a variable degree, in both groups. Histamine suppressed lymphocyte transformation to PHA and Con A (median suppression in normal subjects 38 and 46%, and in atopics 51 and 60%) and to D. Pteronyssinus extract. There was no significant difference between normal subjects and atopics in any of these functional assays. The relative and absolute numbers of total T cells, helper T cells and suppressor T cells measured by monoclonal antibodies and the helper to suppressor T cell ratio were normal in the atopic group. These results show that the activity of Con A induced suppressor T cells and the effect of histamine and indomethacin on lymphocyte proliferation is normal in highly atopic subjects. No suppressor T cell defect has been identified using these assays.
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D002648:Child; D003208:Concanavalin A / Q000494:pharmacology; D005260:Female; D006632:Histamine / Q000494:pharmacology; D006801:Humans; D006969:Hypersensitivity, Immediate / Q000097:blood / Q000276:immunology*; D007073:Immunoglobulin E / Q000096:biosynthesis*; D007958:Leukocyte Count; D008213:Lymphocyte Activation / Q000187:drug effects; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011448:Prostaglandin Antagonists / Q000494:pharmacology; D011852:Radioallergosorbent Test; D013601:T-Lymphocytes / Q000145:classification; D050378:T-Lymphocytes, Regulatory / Q000276:immunology
chemical_list: D011448:Prostaglandin Antagonists; D003208:Concanavalin A; D007073:Immunoglobulin E; D006632:Histamine