title: Interest of argyrophilic proteins nucleolar organizer regions (AgNOR) to estimate the reactivity of T cell clones against autologous malignant B-NHL cells.
abstract: The silver-stained acidic proteins of interphase nucleolar organizer regions (AgNOR) were studied to assess the reactivity of 11 T cell clones (Tcc) against autologous B-NHL cells. Tcc, derived from tumour-infiltrating T lymphocytes of seven patients, were cultured in the presence of irradiated autologous B-NHL cells with recombinant IL-2. Then the percentage of activated T cells expressing the CD25 antigen and their proliferating rate (measured by [3H]thymidine incorporation) were estimated. Simultaneously, at the end of this culture period, B-NHL cells were eliminated by using a cell-sorter, and the resulting purified T cells were studied for AgNOR expression. Tcc cultured without B-NHL cells served as controls. In eight out of the 11 Tcc, the increase in [3H]thymidine incorporation and CD25 expression paralleled the increase of AgNOR area and number. By contrast, in the three remaining Tcc, we observed a decrease (one Tcc) or an increase (two Tcc) of AgNOR parameters, whereas CD25 expression and/or [3H]thymidine incorporation remained unchanged in comparison to control cultures. We concluded that quantification of AgNOR should be a more sensitive technique than thymidine incorporation and CD25 expression for detecting the activation in vitro of T cells induced by autologous B-NHL cells.
mesh_terms: D002999:Clone Cells; D006801:Humans; D008213:Lymphocyte Activation; D018655:Lymphocyte Count; D016393:Lymphoma, B-Cell / Q000276:immunology* / Q000473:pathology; D009697:Nucleolus Organizer Region / Q000276:immunology* / Q000473:pathology; D011237:Predictive Value of Tests; D015375:Receptors, Interleukin-2 / Q000096:biosynthesis; D016622:Silver Staining; D013601:T-Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology*
chemical_list: D015375:Receptors, Interleukin-2