title: Immunoglobulin secretory function of B cells from untreated patients with chronic lymphocytic leukemia and hypogammaglobulinemia: role of T cells.
abstract: The mechanism of the hypogammaglobulinemia in patients with chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) was studied by determining the generation of specific immunoglobulin-secreting cells in response to mitogen and antigen stimulation in culture. Normal peripheral blood B lymphocytes from 18 normal subjects cocultured with equal numbers of autologous T cells generated cells secreting 2,542 +/- 695 IgG, 2,153 +/- 615 IgA, and 2,918 +/- 945 IgM. Normal B lymphocytes cocultured with normal allogeneic T cells generated similar numbers. However, B lymphocytes from patients with chronic lymphocytic leukemia cocultured with T cells from the same patient generated only 0.5% as many cells secreting IgG and 11% and 23% as many secreting IgA and IgM, respectively. The reason for this markedly defective generation of immunoglobulin-secreting cells was investigated by evaluating T-helper, T-suppressor, and B-cell function using B cells from tonsil and T and B cells from peripheral blood of normal and leukemic individuals. T cells from patients with chronic lymphocytic leukemia provided somewhat greater help than did normal T cells to normal peripheral blood B cells and normal help to tonsil B cells, whether stimulated with mitogen or antigen. T cells from patients with chronic lymphocytic leukemia did not demonstrate increased suppressor function compared to normals with B cells from normal peripheral blood. The hypogammaglobulinemia in these patients therefore was associated with a markedly defective generation of immunoglobulin secreting cells, and as there was normal or increased T-cell helper activity without excessive suppressor activity, it seems likely that this was due to an intrinsic B-cell defect.
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000361:Agammaglobulinemia / Q000276:immunology*; D000368:Aged; D000921:Antibody-Producing Cells / Q000276:immunology*; D000941:Antigens / Q000276:immunology; D001402:B-Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007070:Immunoglobulin A / Q000096:biosynthesis; D007074:Immunoglobulin G / Q000096:biosynthesis; D007075:Immunoglobulin M / Q000096:biosynthesis; D007945:Leukemia, Lymphoid / Q000276:immunology*; D008213:Lymphocyte Activation; D007959:Lymphocyte Culture Test, Mixed; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D008934:Mitogens / Q000276:immunology; D014066:Palatine Tonsil / Q000166:cytology; D013601:T-Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology*; D006377:T-Lymphocytes, Helper-Inducer / Q000276:immunology; D050378:T-Lymphocytes, Regulatory / Q000276:immunology
chemical_list: D000941:Antigens; D007070:Immunoglobulin A; D007074:Immunoglobulin G; D007075:Immunoglobulin M; D008934:Mitogens