Autoantibodies to B Lymphocytes in a Patient with Hypoimmunoglobulinemia: CHARACTERIZATION AND PATHOGENIC ROLE

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Abstract

In a young woman with ulcerative colitis, hypoimmunoglobulinemia, and humoral immunodeficiency, lymphocyte counts vary between 600 and 1,000 per mm3 with 0.5-1.5% bone marrow-derived (B) cells and 98-99% thymus-derived (T) cells. Anti-lymphocyte antibodies were detected by immunofluorescence and by microlymphocytotoxicity with increased reactivity at +4°C. They belonged to the IgM class and were polyclonal. Studies performed with various normal lymphocyte subpopulations, several lymphoblastoid cell lines and lymphocytes from immunodeficiency patients showed that these antibodies reacted with B cells. The corresponding antigen(s) is distinct from membrane-bound immunoglobulins, is not an alloantigen, and is probably unrelated to the la-like molecules. Pokeweed mitogen stimulated B cells appear to lose this antigen. Cells from various lymphoproliferative disorders were tested. T-derived and “non T-non-B” leukemic cells did not react with the antibody. Malignant cells from B-derived lymphomas and prolymphocytic leukemias were reactive. The incidence of positivity of the leukemic cells among patients with common B chronic lymphocytic leukemia was surprisingly low (one-third of the patients).

Authors

Thomas Tursz, Jean-Louis Preud'Homme, Sylvaine Labaume, Claude Matuchansky, Maxime Seligmann