An OKT4+ T-cell population with suppressor activity in Sézary syndrome.
This report describes a case of Sézary syndrome with the surface marker phenotype of a mature distinct T-cell subset OKT3+, OKT4+, OKT8-, OKT17+, OKIal-(+). Functional studies indicated that the patient's peripheral blood cells showed a very low proliferative response to non-specific mitogens (phytohaemagglutinin, concanavalin A, pokeweed mitogen) and failed to differentiate into plasma cells in a pokeweed mitogen--immunoglobulin-synthesis-driven system. In coculture with normal cells the leukaemic cells were able to suppress lectin-induced T-cell proliferation and B-cell differentiation in a dose-dependent manner. Suppressor function was not radiosensitive and did not require the presence of the OKT8+ subset for expression. These Sézary cells thus represent a suppressive T-cell subset within the OKT4+ population. This subset may well correspond to the recently described OKT4+, OKT17+ normal suppressor cells. These findings would therefore illustrate a pathological and possibly clonal expansion of a normal OKT4+ suppressor T-cell subset.
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000911:Antibodies, Monoclonal / Q000276:immunology*; D000954:Antigens, Surface / Q000276:immunology; D001402:B-Lymphocytes / Q000166:cytology / Q000276:immunology; D002454:Cell Differentiation; D006801:Humans; D008213:Lymphocyte Activation; D008297:Male; D010835:Phytohemagglutinins / Q000494:pharmacology; D011043:Pokeweed Mitogens / Q000494:pharmacology; D012751:Sezary Syndrome / Q000276:immunology*; D050378:T-Lymphocytes, Regulatory / Q000276:immunology* / Q000528:radiation effects
D000911:Antibodies, Monoclonal; D000954:Antigens, Surface; D010835:Phytohemagglutinins; D011043:Pokeweed Mitogens