Diminished T lymphocyte proliferative response to polyclonal mitogens in acute brucellosis patients.
T lymphocytes from 21 untreated patients with acute brucellosis were tested for their proliferative response to polyclonal mitogens. The purified T lymphocytes from these patients showed a defective proliferative response to plant lectins and anti CD3 monoclonal antibodies with respect to the response observed in T lymphocytes from 21 healthy controls (p < 0.05). This defective proliferative response was not corrected by the exogenous addition of interleukin-2 or tumor necrosis factors alpha or beta to the culture medium. After antibiotic therapy, the proliferative response to the mitogens in T lymphocytes was found to be similar to that of the healthy controls (p > 0.05), and significantly higher than that found before treatment (p < 0.05). It was concluded that T lymphocytes from acute brucellosis patients have a defective proliferative response to membrane mitogenic signals, which disappears when the patients are cured after antibiotic treatment.
Rodriguez-Zapata
M
M
Servicio de Medicina Interna, Hospital General, Madrid, Spain.
Alvarez-Mon
M
M
Salmeron
I
I
Prieto
A
A
Manzano
L
L
Salmeron
O J
OJ
Carballido
J
J
D000208:Acute Disease; D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use; D000911:Antibodies, Monoclonal / Q000276:immunology*; D015703:Antigens, CD / Q000096:biosynthesis; D002006:Brucellosis / Q000276:immunology*; D017252:CD3 Complex / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000276:immunology; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007376:Interleukin-2 / Q000627:therapeutic use; D037102:Lectins / Q000276:immunology*; D008213:Lymphocyte Activation; D008233:Lymphotoxin-alpha / Q000627:therapeutic use; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D013601:T-Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology*; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha / Q000627:therapeutic use
D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents; D000911:Antibodies, Monoclonal; D015703:Antigens, CD; D017252:CD3 Complex; D007376:Interleukin-2; D037102:Lectins; D008233:Lymphotoxin-alpha; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha