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Immunological Rebound after Cessation of Long‐term Chemotherapy in Acute Lymphocytic Leukaemia: Changes in Distribution of T and B Cell Populations in Bone Marrow and Peripheral Blood
Author(s) -
Sen Luisa,
Borella Luis
Publication year - 1974
Publication title -
british journal of haematology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.907
H-Index - 186
eISSN - 1365-2141
pISSN - 0007-1048
DOI - 10.1111/j.1365-2141.1974.tb06813.x
Subject(s) - bone marrow , medicine , immunology , chemotherapy , b cell , peripheral , peripheral blood , antibody
S ummary . The aim of this study was to compare the kinetics of recovery of B (thymus‐independent) and T (thymus‐dependent) cells in the peripheral blood and bone marrow of children with acute lymphocytic leukaemia (ALL) after long‐term immunosupprcssive therapy. B‐cells were identified by the presence of immuno‐globulins on their surface and T‐cells by spontaneous rosette formation with sheep crythrocytes. In peripheral blood of children who had been in remission for more than 3 yr, the percentage of B‐lymphocytes bearing detectable IgM and IgG increased from 2–4 mth after therapy was stopped, while the percentage of T‐lymphocytes decreased. In bone marrow the number of B‐lymphocytes bearing IgM was higher in the first month after therapy than in the following months. This early increase preceded the rise of IgM‐ and IgG‐lymphocytes in peripheral blood. The proportion of T‐lymphocytes in bone marrow was significantly lower than in peripheral blood and did not change throughout the recovery phase. No differences in the rebound of peripheral blood B‐cells were demonstrated between three children who had relapsed and those who remained in remission. These data demonstrate that after long‐term chemotherapy, bone marrow and peripheral blood lymphocytes bearing B‐ and T‐cell surface markers recover with different kinetics. These results suggest that bone in arrow IgM‐lymphocytes may be the precursors of circulating lymphocytes bearing IgM and IgG in man.