title: Functional properties of human thymoma lymphocytes: role of subcellular factors in blastic activation.
abstract: The proliferative responses to phytohemagglutinin and the role of subcellular factors in the modulation of blastogenesis of thymoma lymphocytes from 5 thymoma patients were investigated. The addition of exogenous interleukin 1, a macrophage product, strongly augmented the blastic transformation of cultured thymocytes from both normal and neoplastic glands by influencing the production of interleukin 2 (IL-2) by a well-defined T-cell subset. The magnitudes of the blastic responses were ultimately modulated by the amount of IL-2 released in culture. The higher proliferative responses exhibited by thymocytes from thymoma were effectively sustained by a higher production of IL-2 in culture. In addition to having distinctive surface membrane receptors in common with normal thymocytes, thymoma lymphocytes were also under the influence of the same subcellular factors involved in T-cell blastic activation as thymocytes. These observations imply the presence of functionally distinct subpopulations in the thymoma lymphocyte component and add arguments in favor of their nonneoplastic nature.
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D002462:Cell Membrane / Q000276:immunology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007074:Immunoglobulin G; D007075:Immunoglobulin M; D007375:Interleukin-1 / Q000276:immunology; D007376:Interleukin-2 / Q000276:immunology; D008213:Lymphocyte Activation; D008214:Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010835:Phytohemagglutinins / Q000494:pharmacology; D011947:Receptors, Antigen, B-Cell; D011961:Receptors, Fc; D012397:Rosette Formation; D013945:Thymoma / Q000276:immunology*; D013964:Thyroid Neoplasms / Q000276:immunology*
chemical_list: D007074:Immunoglobulin G; D007075:Immunoglobulin M; D007375:Interleukin-1; D007376:Interleukin-2; D010835:Phytohemagglutinins; D011947:Receptors, Antigen, B-Cell; D011961:Receptors, Fc