title: Normal CD5+ B lymphocytes are poor stimulators in the autologous mixed lymphocyte reaction (AMLR).
abstract: The AMLR is decreased in chronic lymphocytic leukaemia (CLL), which is characterized by a monoclonal expansion of CD5+ B lymphocytes. Since B cells are used to stimulate the AMLR, we investigated the capacity of normal CD5+ B cells to function as stimulators in the AMLR. We isolated B cells from the peripheral blood of normal individuals and fractionated them into subpopulations enriched for CD5+ and CD5- cells, which were used as stimulators in the AMLR. We found that the CD5- B cells were excellent stimulators, whereas stimulation of AMLR by B cells enriched for CD5+ cells resulted in significantly reduced proliferative responses (P < 0.005). This suggests that the reduced AMLR in CLL is due to the predominance of CD5+ B lymphocytes in the stimulating cell population.
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicine, Dalhousie University, QEII Health Sciences Centre, Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada.
authors.forename: L A
authors.initials: LA
authors.lastname: Fernandez
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Cheng
authors.forename: I
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Sadek
authors.forename: T J
authors.initials: TJ
authors.lastname: Nevill
authors.forename: J M
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Macsween
mesh_terms: D001402:B-Lymphocytes / Q000502:physiology*; D018956:CD5 Antigens / Q000032:analysis*; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D006801:Humans; D008213:Lymphocyte Activation; D007959:Lymphocyte Culture Test, Mixed; D013601:T-Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology*
chemical_list: D018956:CD5 Antigens