title: [OKT-8+ suppressor T-lymphocytes are increased in patients with stable multiple myeloma].
abstract: T-lymphocyte subpopulations were studied in 68 patients with monoclonal gammopathies and 27 age-matched healthy controls using the monoclonal antibodies (mAb) OKT-3, OKT-4 and OKT-8. 13 patients had untreated multiple myeloma (MM), 51 had MM and were receiving intermittent pulse chemotherapy or were in remission and followed up without treatment. Four patients had a monoclonal gammopathy of unknown significance (MGUS). Analysis of the data for disease activity demonstrated a significant imbalance of T-lymphocyte subpopulations in patients with stable (plateau phase) MM. In these patients the relative number of cells with suppressor phenotype (OKT-8 positive) was significantly increased (p less than 0.0001) and the relative number of cells with helper phenotype (OKT-4 positive) significantly decreased (p less than 0.0001) when compared with normal controls or patients with active MM. Patients with stable disease also had a significantly higher absolute number of OKT-8 positive cells than patients with active MM (p = 0.04). Additionally, in vitro functional studies showed significant suppression of clonal growth of the human myeloma cell line (RPMI 8226) by a soluble suppressor factor of OKT-8 positive cells from the peripheral blood of healthy donors as well as from bone marrow aspirates of patients with MM. These findings support the hypothesis that T-lymphocyte subpopulations play an important role in the control of proliferation of the myeloma cell clone in patients with low cell mass (stable phase) multiple myeloma.
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000911:Antibodies, Monoclonal / Q000276:immunology; D002999:Clone Cells / Q000276:immunology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007958:Leukocyte Count; D008222:Lymphokines / Q000502:physiology; D008232:Lymphoproliferative Disorders / Q000276:immunology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009101:Multiple Myeloma / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000276:immunology*; D010641:Phenotype; D013491:Suppressor Factors, Immunologic; D050378:T-Lymphocytes, Regulatory / Q000276:immunology*
chemical_list: D000911:Antibodies, Monoclonal; D008222:Lymphokines; D013491:Suppressor Factors, Immunologic
vernacular_title: OKT-8+ -Suppressor-T-Lymphozyten sind bei Patienten mit stabilem multiplen Myelom vermehrt.