title: Neoplasms of immunoregulatory T cells in clinical investigation.
abstract: Normal T cells play a critical role in the regulation of humoral immune responses by acting as potentiators (helper cells) or inhibitors (suppressor cells) of the process by which B cells differentiate into immunoglobulin-secreting plasma cells. Certain diseases in which malignant T cells appear to retain an immunoregulatory function are characterized by a propensity of a lymphomatous T-cell population to infiltrate skin. Some cutaneous T-cell lymphomas, as well as some T-cell neoplasms without dermatologic involvement, provide a homogeneous supply of T lymphocytes which act as immunoregulators. The availability of neoplastic T cells with immunoregulatory properties could accelerate the serologic and biochemical analysis of the cellular control of normal immunity in man.
mesh_terms: D000361:Agammaglobulinemia / Q000276:immunology; D000917:Antibody Formation; D006801:Humans; D007938:Leukemia / Q000276:immunology*; D007945:Leukemia, Lymphoid / Q000276:immunology; D008223:Lymphoma / Q000276:immunology; D009360:Neoplastic Cells, Circulating; D012751:Sezary Syndrome / Q000276:immunology*; D013601:T-Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology*