FAILURE OF LYMPHOCYTES FROM HYPOGAMMAGLOBULINAEMIC SUBJECTS TO TRANSFORM IN CULTURE

Peripheral lymphocyte culture in the diagnosis of drug induced liver injury

In order to evaluate the usefulness of the peripheral lymphocyte culture method for the diagnosis of drug-induced liver injury, a study was carried out on 21 cases of drug-induced liver injury (Group A). Nine cases in Group A showed a positive lymphocyte stimulation test. Out of 9 cases which showed positive stimulation six cases were cholestatic type of liver injury, and the remaining three were of hepatitic type. The results suggest that peripheral lymphocyte culture method is a useful method for diagnosis of drug-induced liver injury.

Immunoglobulin synthesis and lymphocyte transformation by anti-immunoglobulin sera in bursectomized chickens

It was found in bursectomized chickens that selective inhibition of IgM or IgG immunoglobulin synthesis occurs with equal frequency. Alterations in the immunoelectrophoretic pattern of immunoglobulins were described. Lymphocyte transformation induced by rabbit anti-IgM serum was inhibited in chickens lacking either IgM or IgG. Spleen lymphocytes from bursectomized chickens with a normal pattern of immunoglobulins exhibited transformation induced by anti-globulin serum like controls, despite a decreased humoral antibody response.

Response of agammaglobulinaemic lymphocytes in mixed lymphocyte culture

Seven-day mixed lymphocyte cultures (MLC), were established from three sex-linked agammaglobulinaemics and nine acquired agammaglobulinaemics, five males and four females, with normal individuals of the opposite sex. Phytohaemagglutinin cultures were established at the same time. Except for two females with acquired agammaglobulinaemia, all the subjects responded normally to PHA stimulation. Individual MLC response was gauged by analysis of sex chromosome constitution of the dividing cells. The three sex-linked agammaglobulinaemic patients failed to respond in MLC. The male acquired agammaglobulinaemic patients responded at variable rates or not at all while the female acquired agammaglobulinaemic cells responded at least as well as the male cells with which they were cultured. In control MLCs involving the cells of pairs of normal individuals of opposite sex, we observed, consistently, that the female cells responded to a greater extent than did the male.

Studies on the in vitro behavior of agammaglobulinemic lymphocytes

Circulating lymphocytes from patients with congenital X-linked agammaglobulinemia, sporadic congenital agammaglobulinemia, and acquired agammaglobulinemia have been cultured in vitro. They have been shown to proliferate in a normal manner under stimulus of phytohemagglutinin and antigens to which the patient was sensitized. Agammaglobulinemic cells have been shown to synthesize protein at a rate similar to that of normal cells, and the character of the extracellular protein produced is also similar. Agammaglobulinemic lymphocytes have been found to produce a small quantity of immunoglobulin G, similar to that found in normal cell cultures. The quantity of immunoglobulin produced may be increased by exposure of the cells to phytohemagglutinin. From these data, it appears that the basic lesion responsible for agammaglobulinemia is not a deficiency in lymphocyte-mediated antigen recognition or cellular proliferation. It would also appear that the basic deficiency in these disorders does not involve the structural or regulatory genes necessary for the synthesis of immunoglobulins. By exclusion, the pathogenesis of the deficiency would appear to involve cells other than circulating lymphocytes.

Quantitative studies of phytohemagglutinin-induced DNA and RNA synthesis in normal and agammaglobulinemic leukocytes

Leukocytes from nine patients with acquired agammaglobulinemia were studied in vitro. Synthesis of deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) and ribonucleic acid (RNA) induced by phytohemagglutinin was measured by determination of the degree of incorporation of labeled precursor. Synthesis of both DNA and RNA was decreased in the agammaglobulinemic cells. The presence of an inhibitor in the patients' sera could not be demonstrated. These results suggest that the basic defect in agammaglobulinemia is cellular rather than humoral.