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Alterations of lymphocyte responsiveness in Guillain‐Barré syndrome
Author(s) -
Glassman A. B.,
Bennett C. E.
Publication year - 1983
Publication title -
transfusion
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.045
H-Index - 132
eISSN - 1537-2995
pISSN - 0041-1132
DOI - 10.1046/j.1537-2995.1983.23584018711.x
Subject(s) - guillain barre syndrome , medicine , immunology , lymphocyte activation , lymphocyte , immune system , t cell
Various antibodies and immune complexes have been demonstrated in patients with Guillain‐Barre syndrome (GBS). These factors may be part of the pathogenesis of the disease process through immune complex deposition and/or suppression of the immune system. Four patients with typical GBS were treated by plasma exchange. Aliquots from the first 100 ml of plasma removed from each patient were incubated with cultures of normal human peripheral lymphocytes that subsequently were exposed to mitogens, followed by incubation with tritiated thymidine. A decrease (p < 0.001) in response to each of the mitogens was noted after incubation with patient plasma. Peripheral lymphocytes were taken from the patients before and after plasma exchange. An increase (p <0.01) in DNA synthesis following mitogen exposure was observed after plasma exchange in each patient. All patients exhibited subjective and objective clinical improvement. Plasma exchange for GBS appeared to remove a lymphocyte suppressor factor, which was characterized by column fractionation. The suppressor factor was determined to be a substance of approximately 10,000 to 12,000 daltons that reproducibly decreased the responsiveness of normal lymphocytes to mitogens.