Study of the lymphocyte fractions in the mixed lymphocyte culture in vitro

Résumé Les lymphocytes du sang périphérique d'un sujet ont été fractionnés. Trois fractions ont été obtenues. Chaque fraction a été cultivée avec les lymphocytes vivants d'un autre individu non apparenté au premier. Le pourcentage des cellules transformées a été évalué pour chaque culture. Seule la fraction ribosomale dans laquelle se trouvent également les membranes cellulaires est active et donne un pourcentage de transformations comparable à celui obtenu lorsqu'on met en culture dans les mêmes conditions les lymphocytes, entiers et tués par congélation-décongélation, qui ont servi pour la préparation des fractions.

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Supported by a Grant from Lady Tata Foundation.     

Immunoglobulins and lymphocyte populations

Resumen Se ha estudiado la relación existente entre la concentración de Ig. sericas y las poblaciones linfocitarias T y B en un grupo de sujetos ancianos, encontrandose un notable descenso de la transformación blasticá al tiempo que se incrementa el porcentage de linfocitos portadores de Ig. en su membrana. De nuestros resultados parece deducirse una relación entre el nivel de Ig. sericas y la población medulo-derivada.     

Complementary replica of freeze-fractured human lymphocyte nuclei

Summary Complementary replicas of freeze-fractured human lymphocyte nuclei were obtained, and were studied with the electron microscope. Complementarity was evident in cross-fractured nuclear pore complexes and in particle-free membrane areas. Explanations for the observed structural peculiarities are considered.I thank the staff of the Immuno-Hematological Lab. (Med. Clinic of the University Hospital of Zurich) for showing me the lymphocyte isolation technique, Dr med. D. Meier-Göhr for performing the blood counts, T. Suda for helping me with the electron microscope, and E. Wehrli (Lab. of Electron Microscopy, Institute of Cell Biology/ETH, Zurich) for providing the freeze-fracture equipment.     

Periodate oxidation of lymphocyte membrane glycoconjugates]

Mouse spleen cells free of erythrocytes were suspended in PBS at a concentration of 2 X 10(7) cells/ml and mixed with an equal volume of sodium periodate in PBS for 10 min. at 4 degrees C to give a final concentration of periodate ranging from 10(-4) M to 5 X 10(-3) M. The cells were then washed and suspended (60 X 10(6) ml) in PBS containing 3H-labelled sodium borohydrate and incubated for 30 min, at 23 degrees C. Following this, the cells were washed and the pellets treated with H2SO4 0.1 N for 60 min. at 80 degrees C. Compounds liberated by such treatment, were identified by chromatography as derivates of sialic acid. The data provide direct evidence that the mitogenic effect of sodium periodate is associated to the oxidation of the sialic acid residues on the lymphocyte membrane.     

Complementary replica of freeze-fractured human lymphocyte nuclei

Complementary replicas of freeze-fractured human lymphocyte nuclei were obtained, and were studied with the electron microscope. Complementarity was evident in cross-fractured nuclear pore complexes and in particle-free membrane areas. Explanations for the observed structural peculiarities are considered.     

Alkaline phosphatase in human lymphocyte subpopulations

Summary The levels of membrane alkaline phosphatase have been measured on different lymphocyte fractions from human peripheral blood separated on bovine serum albumin discontinuous gradients. The peak in enzyme activity was observed in a non-T-, non-B-cell fraction, rich in null lymphocytes; the lowest values were found in the fraction with the highest proportion of T-cells.     

Hormones,thymus and lymphocyte functions

Zusammenfassung Es wird die Hypothese vorgeschlagen, dass Thymus-Lymphozyten (T-Zellen) neben ihren klassischen immunologischen Funktionen wichtige multifunktionelle homöostatische Kontrollfunktionen ausüben. Störungen in der Beziehung zwischen dem endokrinen System und Thymus führen zu Ausfallerscheinungen und Altern.

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Acknowledgement. This work was supported by the Schweizerischer Nationalfonds zur Förderung der wissenschaftlichen Forschung, Grant No. 3.246.69 SR, and theEmil-Barell-Stiftung, Basel.     

Mouse serum factor depressing lymphocyte transformation

Résumé Le sérum des souris normales contient un facteur, de haute charge négative et de faible poids moléculaire, qui abaisse la réponse de lymphocytes spléniques au PHA et aux lymphocytes allogéniques. Le sérum des souris qui ont eu une injection de BCG est même plus dépressif que le sérum des souris normales.     

Lymphopenia and lymphocyte transformation in alcoholics

Summary The basis of peripheral blood lymphopenia observed in patients with chronic alcoholism and liver disease was investigated by examining the effect of sera of these patients on in vitro transformation of normal human peripheral blood lymphocytes. A positive correlation was demonstrated between the serum inhibition of phytohaemagglutinin- and pokeweed mitogen-induced transformation and the degree of lymphopenia. Thus serum factors may contribute to the observed lymphopenia by inhibiting lymphocyte production in vivo.This study was supported by grants from the National Health and Medical Research Council of Australia, Royal Australasian College of Physicians and Alfred Hospital Henry Laurie Scholarship Fund.     

The effect of common antibiotics on lymphocyte transformation

Zusammenfassung Therapeutische Konzentrationen von Penicillin, Erythromycin und Tetracycline wurden Lymphozytenkulturen zugefügt um mögliche Ähnlichkeiten zu der immunsuppressiven Wirkung antineoplastischer Antibiotika zu bestimmen. Eine Hemmung der PHA-induzierten Blastogenese konnte nicht beobachtet werden.

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Supported by grants from the Fay-Hunter Trust.     

Lymphopenia and lymphocyte transformation in alcoholics.

The basis of peripheral blood lymphopenia observed in patients with chronic alcoholism and liver disease was investigated by examining the effect of sera of these patients on in vitro transformation of normal human peripheral blood lymphocytes. A positive correlation was demonstrated between the serum inhibition of phytohaemagglutinin- and pokeweed mitogen-induced transformation and the degree of lymphopenia. Thus serum factors may contribute to the observed lymphopenia by inhibiting lymphocyte production in vivo.     

Alkaline phosphatase in human lymphocyte subpopulations.

The levels of membrane alkaline phosphatase have been measured on different lymphocyte fractions from human peripheral blood separated on bovine serum albumin discontinuous gradients. The peak in enzyme activity was observed in a non-T-, non-B-cell fraction, rich in "null" lymphocytes; the lowest values were found in the fraction with the highest proportion of T-cells.     

Mixed lymphocyte reaction in human monoclonal gammopathies

Summary Ten multiple myeloma (MM) and 5 monoclonal gammopathies of undertermined significance (MGUS) were studied. The mixed lymphocyte reaction (MLR) proliferative response was of the same order of magnitude in MM and in MGUS as in normal controls. Normal results were obtained when pathological lymphocytes were used as either responding or stimulating cells. The addition of monoclonal anti-Ia antibodies completely abrogates the proliferative response as in healthy individuals. These results suggest that the immunological mechanisms supposed to be important in MLR are functionally normal in MM and in MGUS, although both the B and T cell lineages are involved in monoclonal gammopathies.This work was supported by CNR-PPFF Controllo della crescita neoplastica No. 82.00387.96. We thank Regione Piemonte which purchasel most of the technical equipment.     

Inhibitory effect of cytokinins on PHA-induced human lymphocyte stimulation

Summary The inhibitory effect of various purine derivatives on PHA-induced human lymphocyte blast formation was studied. Two nucleoside cytokinins, N⁶-benzyladenosine and N⁶-isopentenyladenosine, inhibited blast formation at concentrations as low as 10^–6 M. However, the other cytokinins, which lacked the ribosyl residue at N⁹ position, had to be at the higher molar concentration of 10^–4 before they could induce the same inhibitory effect.     

Suppression of mitogen- and antigen-induced lymphocyte proliferation by lanthanides

Lanthanide ions (Ln3+) inhibited the proliferative response of human lymphocytes to various polyclonal mitogens and the 'purified protein derivative' (PPD) of the tuberculin antigen. Of the four Ln3+ ions tested lanthanum (La3+) was the strongest inhibitor; erbium (Er3+) and lutetium (Lu3+) were only weakly active, while samarium (Sm3+) had intermediate potency. At a concentration of 1 mM, La3+ almost completely inhibited the uptake of [3H]-thymidine by lymphocytes exposed to mitogenic agents. Trypan blue exclusion tests confirmed that the La3+ ions were not toxic. These findings may bear upon the reported anti-inflammatory properties of the lanthanides.