1982 Volume 34 Issue 3 Pages 605-633
The behavior of leukemic sera as to MLC reaction and phytohemagglutinine (PHA) induced lymphocyte transformation was studied with the purpose of examining immunosuppressive factors in the sera. The results obtained were as follows:
Out of the 74 sera from 36 patients with var ious types of leukemia tested,18 showed inhibitory effect (at on Inhibitory Ratio greater than 75 %) against MLC, and 34 against PHA lymphocyte transformation. Such inhibitory activities were marked in sera from patients experiencing AML and CML blastic crisies.
As to MLC, the inhibitory effects were scarcely found in the sera before treatment, but, after intensive chemotherapy, the reaction was often remarkably suppressed, which seemed indicative of poor response to chemotherapy and poor prognosis. On the other hand, as to PHA lymphocyte transformation, the reaction was remarkably suppressed by the sera before treatment, but the inhibitory effect was mitigated in concomitance with the numerical decrease in leukemic blast cells brought on by intensive chemotherapy, and also in complete remission. In relapse, the inhibitory effect was again intensified, i.e the inhibitory effects of the sera against PHA lymphocyte transformation well correlated with the clinical state of the disease.
Further studies were made on these suppressive factors in the sera: Both the factor suppressing MLC and that suppressing PHA lymphocyte transformation were not dialysable, and remained stable for lyophilization. Fractionation of normal and leukemic sera was carried out using DEAE-Sephadex ion exchange column chromatography: The ellution patterns of the normal and leukemic sera were quite similar, but the inhibitory activities of leukemic sera against both MLC and PHA lymphocyte transformation were always found in Fraction 1.
These results fairly indicate the presence of suppr essive factors in leukemic sera, and the examination of these suppressive factors should be of great significance in the clinical evaluation of the immunocompetence of leukemia patients.
