Premium
Deficiency of mature B and T lymphocyte subsets in the blood of non‐Hodgkin lymphoma patients
Author(s) -
JanowskaWieczorek Anna,
Andrews E. Joy,
Khaliq Abdul,
Pilarski Linda M.
Publication year - 1987
Publication title -
american journal of hematology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 2.456
H-Index - 105
eISSN - 1096-8652
pISSN - 0361-8609
DOI - 10.1002/ajh.2830260203
Subject(s) - malignancy , lymphoma , antibody , lymphocyte , antigen , immunofluorescence , medicine , human leukocyte antigen , immunology , chemotherapy , pathology
The expression of mature B‐cell markers and T markers was determined in lymphocytes isolated from the peripheral blood (PBL) of 20 healthy adults and 51 patients with non‐Hodgkin malignant lymphoma (NHL). The disease was classified as newly diagnosed, in remission, or being treated with chemotherapy and of low‐, intermediate‐, or high‐grade malignancy. To avoid technical problems associated with artifacts involving cytophilic immunoglobulins (Ig), we defined mature B‐cells by means of three criteria: a) expression of high surface density of Ig sufficient to allow polar movement of receptors to form a cap in an indirect immunofluorescence (IF) assay, b) expression of high density of the human leukocyte antigens DR (HLA‐DR) under capped conditions, and c) expression of a 41H.16 marker exclusive to surface Ig + B‐cells. Percentages of PBL able to cap surface Ig (sIg) (λ, K), HLA‐DR (7H.3), and 41H.16 markers were significantly reduced (p<0.001) in all of the patients, regardless of treatment status, and the numbers of sIg + ‐capping cells were similarly reduced in the patients, regardless of the grade of malignancy. Studies with ring fluorescence showed mean percentages of cells expressing OKT3 and OKT4 determinants significantly reduced (P<0.001) but OKT8 + cells not significantly different from control. The OKT4/OKT8 ratio was reduced in all patients and did not differ significantly in relation to the degree of malignancy. We conclude that, in NHL, essentially all patients have severe abnormalities in the number of B‐ or T‐cells needed for normal immune responses.