title: T-cell mediated polyclonal B-cell activation in a case of B-cell lymphoma associated with polyclonal hypergammaglobulinemia.
abstract: The mechanism of abnormal immunoglobulin production in non-Hodgkin's lymphoma is still poorly understood. We report a case of B-cell type non-Hodgkin's lymphoma associated with marked elevated polyclonal hyper-gammaglobulinemia (serum IgG was 7598 mg/dl; IgM, 455 mg/dl). We conducted a mixed lymphocyte culture test using peripheral lymphocytes obtained from the patient and a healthy volunteer. After co-culture with the patient's CD3+ cells, not only the patient's CD3- cells but also control CD3- cells produced greater amounts of IgG and IgM. Elevated IL-6 was also detected from the patient's CD3+ cells. This strongly suggests that B-lymphoma cells stimulate CD3+ cells to produce IL-6 and hence activate normal CD3- cells.
authors.affiliation: Fourth Department of Internal Medicine, Sapporo Medical University School of Medicine, Japan.
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Kogawa
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Hisai
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Morii
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Horimoto
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Kuya
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Sakamaki
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Watanabe
authors.forename: Y
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Niitsu
mesh_terms: D001402:B-Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology*; D006801:Humans; D006942:Hypergammaglobulinemia / Q000276:immunology*; D008213:Lymphocyte Activation; D016393:Lymphoma, B-Cell / Q000276:immunology*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D013601:T-Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology*