Functional abnormalities associated with T lymphocytes from patients with chronic lymphocytic leukemia

Abstract Purified populations of T and B cells were obtained from individuals with chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) by the use of anti-F(ab′) 2 affinity column chromatography techniques in which twice the amount of column material used for normal separations was used for the separation of Ig − and Ig + cells from CLL patients. Furthermore, the flow rate was reduced in order to decrease the possibility that some B cells from CLL patients, containing a low density of surface Ig, would pass through without binding to the coupled Sephadex G-200. Examination of surface Ig, P23,30 antigens, and T-cell antigens in the separated populations indicated that both the Ig − and Ig + populations were highly enriched. These T cells were also tested for their response to mitogenic stimulation as well as their ability to cooperate with leukemic B cells, normal B cells, or B cells from a transformed B-cell line. T cells from leukemic patients were found to be significantly deficient in both the response to mitogens and ability to cooperate with B cells in the synthesis and secretion of immunoglobulin.