PROLIFERATION OF HUMAN-MALIGNANT LYMPHOCYTES INDUCED BY ANTI-IGM INDEPENDENT OF B-CELL GROWTH-FACTOR

  • 1 January 1985
    • journal article
    • research article
    • Vol. 134  (5) , 3532-3538
Abstract
Human malignant B lymphocytes were identified that proliferate in response to small doses of anti-Ig. Proliferation was induced by monoclonal mouse anti-HIgM, polyclonal goat anti-HIgM, and F(ab'')2 fragments thereof, in vitro, and was not accompanied by Ig secretion. Proliferation was found to be unaffected by T cell depletion and was not enhanced by supplementation with B cell growth factor. Culture fluids from unstimulated malignant lymphocytes as well as from malignant lymphocytes stimulated with anti-HIgM contained no measurable B cell growth factoractivity. Thus, proliferation of these malignant lymphocytes was not dependent on the presence of T lymphocytes and was independent of the presence of B cell growth factor. These results imply that B cell stimulatory factors may not be required for proliferation of all human B lymphocytes. These results imply that treatment with anti-Ig reagents may be inappropriate for some B lymphocyte malignancies.

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