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B-cell function in patients with chronic lymphocytic leukemia

B-Zell Funktion bei Patienten mit chronischer lymphatischer Leukämie

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Summary

Using a reverse hemolytic protein A plaque assay, spontaneous and pokeweed mitogen (PWM)-induced immunoglobulin (Ig) secretion was determined in peripheral blood from 22 patients with B1-chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL), one patient with B2-CLL, and one patient with suppressor T-CLL. Diagnoses were established by cytological and histological criteria as well as several marker analyses. Lymphocytes from B1- and B2-CLL patients were unable to secrete Ig either spontaneously or after PWM stimulation. In T-CLL lymphocytes, spontaneous Ig secretion was suppressed very probably by the OKT-8-positive leukemic population, since, after cultivation with PWM, a normal Ig secretion could be demonstrated which was paralleled by a decrease in the OKT-8-positive cells. Cocultivation experiments with freshly isolated, unseparated lymphocytes from normal subjects and lymphocytes from patients were of no informational value, since isolated normal B-cells alone already showed a high rate of Ig secretion. However, coculture experiments with separated subpopulations after PWM stimulation revealed an intrinsic B-cell defect in lymphocytes from B1-CLL patients, whereas their T-lymphocytes were found to be normal helper cells.

Zusammenfassung

Mittels eines indirekten Protein A Plaque Assays wurden im peripheren Blut von 22 Patienten mit B1-CLL, einem Patienten mit B2-CLL und einem Patienten mit einer Suppressor-T-CLL die Lymphocyten bestimmt, die spontan bzw. nach Stimulation mit Pokeweed Mitogen Immunglobuline synthetisieren. Die Diagnosen wurden mit Hilfe der Cytologie und der Histologie sowie anhand von Markeruntersuchungen gestellt.

Lymphocyten von Patienten mit B1- und B2-CLL waren weder spontan noch nach Pokeweed Mitogen-Stimulation in der Lage, Immunglobuline zu sezernieren. Im Falle der T-CLL war die Spontansekretion höchstwahrscheinlich durch die OKT 8 positive Leukämiepopulation supprimiert, da nach Kultivierung mit Pokeweed Mitogen eine normale Immunglobulin-Sekretion — verbunden mit einer Abnahme der OKT 8 positiven Zellen — festzustellen war. Ko-kulturexperimente mit frisch isolierten, ungetrennten Lymphocyten von Normalpersonen und Lymphocyten von Patienten waren nicht aussagekräftig, da isolierte normale B-Zellen allein schon eine sehr hohe Immunglobulinsekretionsrate aufwiesen. Dagegen erbrachten Ko-kulturexperimente mit Subpopulationen von B1-CLL Patienten den Beweis für einen wirklichen B-Zelldefekt, während die entsprechenden T-Lymphocyten als normale Helferzellen fungieren konnten.

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Abbreviations

CLL:

Chronic lymphocytic leukemia

PWM:

Pokeweed mitogen

ISC:

Immunoglobulin-secreting cells

Ig:

Immunoglobulin(s)

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Hämatologische Abteilung, Klinikum Steglitz der FU, D-1000, Berlin 45

    G. Sieber, F. Herrmann, B. Enders & H. Rühl

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  1. G. Sieber
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  2. F. Herrmann
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  3. B. Enders
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  4. H. Rühl
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Supported by the Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (Ru 215/2)

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Sieber, G., Herrmann, F., Enders, B. et al. B-cell function in patients with chronic lymphocytic leukemia. Klin Wochenschr 60, 1303–1309 (1982). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01727487

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01727487

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