title: Imbalance in T-cell subsets of five children with congenital agammaglobulinemia and its effect on "in vitro" immunoglobulin synthesis.
abstract: OKT3, OKT4 and OKT8 monoclonal antibodies have been used to assess the number of total T cells and of some T-cell subpopulations in five children with Congenital Agammaglobulinemia. A significant increase in OKT8+ cells and parallel decrease in OKT4+ cells were observed in all patients, both as percentages and absolute numbers. by contrast there was no significant difference in the number of total T cells (OKT3+) and OKT3+ OKT4- OKT8- cells between patients and controls. Determinations were made of the synthesis of IgG and IgM by normal B cells cultured with T lymphocytes from patients stimulated by pokeweed mitogen. In all cases a significant decrease in Ig synthesis was observed. These results may be consistent with imbalance in the T regulatory subsets. However, a similar imbalance was observed in a healthy father of one patient, who had no other immunological defect. A normal distribution of T-cell subsets was observed in all the other relatives examined.
mesh_terms: D000361:Agammaglobulinemia / Q000151:congenital / Q000276:immunology*; D001402:B-Lymphocytes / Q000378:metabolism; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D006801:Humans; D007136:Immunoglobulins / Q000096:biosynthesis*; D008297:Male; D013601:T-Lymphocytes / Q000166:cytology* / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D007136:Immunoglobulins