Background:
The autologous mixed lymphocyte reaction (amlr) is an important immunoregulatory phenomenon in human immune disorders. the authors have determined the phenotype and assessed the response of malignant lymph node t-cells, from histologically and immunologically proven cases of peripheral t-cell lymphoma, in amlr and allogeneic mixed lymphocyte reaction (mlr) and studied the secretion of lymphokines.
Methods:
The proliferative response, tritiated 3h-thymidine incorporation assay, was used to determine the amlr and allogeneic mlr of the responding t-cells. an interleukin-2 (il-2)-dependent t-cell line (ctll) was used for the production of il-2 by phytohemagglutinin-stimulated t-cells in a cytotoxic assay. b-cell growth and differentiation factor activity of t-cells was studied by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay.
Results:
The amlr of malignant lymph node t-cells was increased characteristically in 12 of the 14 lymphoma cases studied; however, that of the blood t-cells was decreased. the allogeneic mlr of the malignant lymph node t-cells and blood-purified t-cells of the eight cases investigated was decreased. expression or deficiency of cd2 and cd3 antigens on malignant t-cells did not show any difference in the amlr assay.
Conclusions:
This study demonstrates an important tendency of malignant t-cells from patients with peripheral t-cell lymphoma to proliferate in amlr. the highly augmented amlr but deficient allogeneic mlr observed in these malignant t-cells indicate that autologous recognitive events may play an important role in the immunopathogenesis of this human disease.