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Lymphocyte response to pokeweed mitogen in chronic lymphocytic leukemia
Author(s) -
Lamberson Harold V.,
Davey Frederick R.,
Schreck Celeste M.,
Zamkoff Kenneth,
Kurec Anthony S.
Publication year - 1984
Publication title -
cancer
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 3.052
H-Index - 304
eISSN - 1097-0142
pISSN - 0008-543X
DOI - 10.1002/1097-0142(19840601)53:11<2481::aid-cncr2820531120>3.0.co;2-z
Subject(s) - pokeweed mitogen , medicine , chronic lymphocytic leukemia , immunology , lymphocyte , b cell , peripheral blood mononuclear cell , leukemia , t lymphocyte , t cell , biology , immune system , antibody , in vitro , biochemistry
The response of lymphocyte subpopulations to pokeweed mitogen (PWM) was studied in normal volunteers and patients with B‐cell chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL). Since unfractionated peripheral blood mononuclear (PBM) cells from CLL patients consist of a markedly increased proportion of B‐lymphocytes and a decreased proportion of T‐lymphocytes, enriched fractions of CLL B‐cells and CLL T‐cells were cultured in 1:1 proportions in autologous and allogeneic combinations with normal B‐cell and T‐cell‐enriched fractions. Cultures containing normal B‐cells with either autologous or allogeneic normal T‐cells responded well to PWM. CLL T‐cells were capable of providing a helper function for both proliferation and differentiation of normal B‐cells, which was not significantly different from that provided by allogeneic normal T‐cells. CLL B‐lymphocytes were unresponsive to PWM when cultured in the presence of either autologous CLL T‐lymphocytes or allogeneic normal T‐lymphocytes. The responsiveness of CLL B‐cells was not restored by the addition of normal peripheral blood monocytes to the cultures. These experiments indicate that there is an intrinsic B‐cell defect which prevents CLL B‐lymphocytes from responding to PWM.