Increased IgM B cell differentiation lymphokine production by T lymphocytes from patients with primary biliary cirrhosis.
Hypergammaglobulinemia, mainly due to increased serum immunoglobulin M concentrations, is a common and distinctive feature of primary biliary cirrhosis. T-B cell cooperation plays a pivotal role in the regulation of immunoglobulin secretion. In this paper, the production of regulatory B lymphokines by T cells, as well as the functional response of B lymphocytes to these molecules, was investigated in patients with primary biliary cirrhosis. T cells from patients with primary biliary cirrhosis have an enhanced ability to produce lymphokines that regulate the proliferation of B cells and their differentiation to immunoglobulins G- and M-secreting cells. In contrast, the cellular production of lymphokines involved in the induction of immunoglobulin A-secreting cells was normal. Simultaneously, the proliferation and differentiation of purified B cells in response to stimulation with surface immunoglobulin ligands and lymphokines were normal. These results suggest that the elevated serum levels of immunoglobulins M and G found in patients with primary biliary cirrhosis could be ascribed to an enhanced lymphokine-mediated T-B cooperation.
Menéndez-Caro
J L
JL
Service of Internal Medicine, Hospital San Agustín, Avilés, Spain.
Alvarez-Mon
M
M
Girón
J A
JA
Manzano
L
L
Garrido
A
A
Abreu
L
L
Albillos
A
A
Durántez
A
A
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001402:B-Lymphocytes / Q000166:cytology / Q000378:metabolism*; D002454:Cell Differentiation / Q000502:physiology; D002455:Cell Division / Q000502:physiology; D006801:Humans; D007070:Immunoglobulin A / Q000097:blood; D007074:Immunoglobulin G / Q000097:blood; D007075:Immunoglobulin M / Q000097:blood*; D007376:Interleukin-2 / Q000096:biosynthesis*; D008105:Liver Cirrhosis, Biliary / Q000097:blood*; D008875:Middle Aged; D010950:Plasma Cells / Q000378:metabolism; D013601:T-Lymphocytes / Q000378:metabolism*
D007070:Immunoglobulin A; D007074:Immunoglobulin G; D007075:Immunoglobulin M; D007376:Interleukin-2