Open AccessElevation of CD8 + CD11b + Leu‐8 − T cells is associated with the humoral immunodeficiency in myeloma patients
Author(s) -
WALCHNER M.,
WICK M.
Publication year - 1997
Publication title -
clinical & experimental immunology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.329
H-Index - 135
eISSN - 1365-2249
pISSN - 0009-9104
DOI - 10.1046/j.1365-2249.1997.4451342.x
Subject(s) - pokeweed mitogen , immunology , polyclonal antibodies , cd8 , biology , peripheral blood mononuclear cell , monoclonal , immunodeficiency , antibody , monoclonal antibody , immune system , biochemistry , in vitro
Recurrent bacterial infections due to humoral immunodeficiency are an important cause of death in myeloma patients. Recent data indicate that CD8 + T lymphocytes and a reduction of T helper type 1 cells with disease progression may be involved in the regulation of polyclonal immunoglobulin secretion. In mixed lymphocyte cultures derived from peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) of 24 myeloma patients with reduced immunoglobulin serum levels we investigated the association of CD4 + and CD8 + T cell subsets and immunoglobulin‐secreting B cells (ISC) upon mitogenic stimulation with pokeweed mitogen (PWM) and concanavalin A (Con A). In supernatants of cultured PBMC of myeloma patients the spontaneous secretion of the type 1 cytokine interferon‐gamma was reduced. After PWM stimulation reduced numbers of polyclonal ISC were found in 79% of patients, and monoclonal ISC were observed in 12% of patients. After Con A stimulation, again formation of polyclonal ISC was reduced, but monoclonal ISC were found in 41% of patients. Elevation of monoclonal and reduction of polyclonal ISC after stimulation with Con A were associated with an increase of CD8 + CD11b + Leu‐8 − T cells ( P < 0.05). We conclude that the elevated numbers of CD8 + CD11b + Leu‐8 − T cells play a role in the stimulation of monoclonal and suppression of polyclonal immunoglobulin secretion in myeloma patients.