INVITRO EFFECT OF THE THYMIC-FACTOR THYMOPOIETIN ON A SUB-POPULATION OF LYMPHOCYTES FROM SEVERELY MALNOURISHED CHILDREN

  • 1 January 1980
    • journal article
    • research article
    • Vol. 39  (3) , 717-721
Abstract
Several investigators showed that the proportion of T [thymus-derived] cell lymphocytes was greatly reduced while that of the B cell lymphocytes was virtually unaffected; thus the relative proportion of null cells was significantly increased in severely malnourished patients. Other studies demonstrated that extracts of bovine thymus will induce an increase in the proportion of T cell rosettes from patients with various disorders. This study demonstrated that peripheral blood lymphocytes from severely malnourished patients with secondary infections contain a subpopulation of lymphocytes which will respond in vitro in the presence of thymopoietin by increased numbers of E [erythrocyte] rosettes. These results also support the concept of a finite population of responder cells and indicate that other thymopoietin insensitive subpopulations of null cells are increased when the proportion of T cells are greatly suppressed. Further characterization of the lymphocyte subpopulation(s) affected by thymopoietin is needed.