1986 Volume 27 Issue 3 Pages 386-390
A case of adult T-cell leukemia (ATL) (chronic type) in which peripheral T-cells have helper activity on immunoglobulin production of B-cells is reported. The patient, 48 years of age female, was born in the Gotoh Islands, Nagasaki Prefecture. She had skin lesion which made frequent appearance for four years, lymphnode swelling and leukocytosis with a few lymphoid cell which nuclei were convoluted. ATL-cell associated antigen (ATLA) and antibody to ATLA by indirect immunofluorescent method were possitive. The surface marker study of these peripheral lymphocytes was as follows: 77% E rosset forming cells, 76% react with OKT3, 86.8% react with OKT4, and 6.3% react with OKT8. Mitogenic activities of these lymphocytes were very low and natural killer cell activity against K 562 cells were also low. Polyconal hypergammaglobulinemia was observed and peripheral T-cells, mainly ATL-cells, showed helper activity on PWM-induced immunoglobulin production on normal B-cells. It is supposed that, in the present case, ATL-cells act as helper T-cells on immunoglobulin production of B-cells in vivo, because polyclonal hypergammaglobulinemia was recognized and her T-cells showed helper function in vitro.
