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Lymphocytes from patients receiving lithium do not inhibit CFU‐C growth
Author(s) -
Irvine A. E.,
Crockard A. D.,
Desai Z. R.,
Ennis K. T.,
Fay A. C.,
Morris T. C. M.,
Bridges J. M.
Publication year - 1986
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.1365-2141.1986.tb02958.x
Subject(s) - lithium (medication) , granulocytosis , immunology , lymphocyte , monocyte , bone marrow , in vitro , medicine , platelet , endocrinology , lithium carbonate , chemistry , microbiology and biotechnology , biology , andrology , granulocyte , biochemistry , ion , organic chemistry , ionic bonding
S ummary . Lymphocyte subset levels and function were examined in 12 patients on lithium therapy and in 11 healthy hospital personnel. Co‐culture of allogeneic human bone marrow cells with monocyte‐depleted lymphocyte preparations revealed that CFU‐C formation was significantly reduced (mean 43% inhibition) in the presence of normal lymphocytes but not with the patients’ lymphocytes (< 5% inhibition). This did not reflect numerical changes in lymphocyte subsets, since these were similar for control and lithium subjects. T colony formation was significantly depressed in the patient group ( P <0.05), whereas B colony numbers were similar in both groups ( P > 0.1). The possible role of HLA‐incompatability affecting CFU‐C growth was investigated in co‐culture experiments, using lymphocytes from HLA‐identical twins, one of whom was receiving lithium. In four separate co‐culture experiments, the inhibitory effect was shown with lymphocytes from the non‐lithium twin but was not demonstrated by the lithium subject. Addition of lithium in vitro to co‐cultures of normal marrow and lymphocytes was found to negate the inhibitory phenomenon in a dose‐related manner. It is postulated that granulocytosis induced by the administration of lithium may be a manifestation of changes in a lymphocytic control system.