Imbalance of T‐cell Subpopulations Does Not Result in Defective Helper Function in Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia

Document Type

Article

Publication Date

1-1-1981

Description

The T‐lymphocyte subpopulations identified by the Fc receptors for IgG (TG cells) and IgM (TM cells) in 12 patients with B‐cell chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) were quantitated and studied for functional capabilities in an in vitro assay. The TG cells in patients were elevated in relation to age‐ and sex‐matched normal controls (P < 0.05) resulting in an altered TM/TG ratio of 1.8 ± 0.76 in CLL versus 5.9 ± 3.7 in controls (mean ± SD, P < 0.001). Despite this altered TM/TG ratio, the functional capability of the CLL T cells to regulate the terminal differentiation of B cells was found to be normal as reflected by the mean helper–suppressor score of 0.77 ± 0.13 (±SEM) obtained for both patients and controls. This unimpaired capacity of the T cells from CLL patients to help normal B cells mature into immunoglobulin‐secreting cells indicated that hypogammaglobulinemia and monoclonal serum immunoglobulins in these patients may be a result of either an intrinsic defect in the B lymphocytes or their replacement by a neoplastic clone rather than a defect in the immunoregulatory T cells.

Share

COinS