T lymphocyte subpopulations in patients with B-cell chronic lymphocyte leukaemia: relationship to infective episodes.
Patients with B-cell chronic lymphocytic leukaemia (B-CLL) have an increased susceptibility to infection. Quantitative abnormalities of T-cells have been previously reported in B-CLL, although the relationship between such abnormalities and the incidence of infection still remains to be established. We therefore enumerated lymphocyte subpopulations in 22 patients with B-CLL grouped according to the number of infective episodes in the previous three years. No significant differences were found between the patient groups and the mean number of T-cells subsets (helper, suppressor, suppressor-inducer and suppressor effector) or NK cells, but patients with frequent infections were found to have significantly higher CD5+ B-cell counts. Thus, we confirm that T-cell subpopulations are numerically altered in patients with B-CLL, but found that such changes are not predictive of susceptibility to infection. Our results however suggest that the malignant B-cells may exhibit immunosuppressive activity.
Copson
E R
ER
Division of Haematology, United Medical School, London, UK.
Westwood
N B
NB
Majumdar
G
G
D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D015703:Antigens, CD / Q000032:analysis; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007108:Immune Tolerance; D007239:Infections / Q000209:etiology*; D015451:Leukemia, Lymphocytic, Chronic, B-Cell / Q000276:immunology*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D016176:T-Lymphocyte Subsets / Q000276:immunology*
D015703:Antigens, CD