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- Title
B-cell maturation in chronic lymphocytic leukaemia: IV. T-CELL-DEPENDENT ACTIVATION OF LEUKAEMIC B CELLS BY STAPHYLOCOCCAL ENTEROTOXIN 'SUPERANTIGENS'
- Authors
Duan, X.; Nerl, C.; Janssen, O.; Kabelitz, D.
- Abstract
Staphylococcal enterotoxins (SE) are potent T-lymphocyte activators that stimulate T cells by directly cross-linking HLA-DR molecules on antigen-presenting cells with the Vβ gene products of the T-cell receptor, The different SE activate all T cells expressing a given Vβ, and, therefore, have been termed 'super-antigens'. Here we show that SE are potent activators of leukemic B cells from patients with chronic lymphocytic leukaemia (CLL). Purified B cells from seven of eight CLL patients with high WBC counts (> 80,000/µl) responded to one or several of the tested SE (SEA, SEB, SEC1, SED, SEE) by proliferation ([³H]TdR incorporation) and/or Ig secretion. In several instances, the response of leukemic B cells to SE was much stronger than was the response to other known B-cell activators including EBV, pokeweed mitogen (PWM), phorbolester (TPA), and Staphylococcus aureus Cowan I (SAC). The activation of leukemic B cells by SE was strictly dependent on the addition of irradiated T cells isolated from healthy donors. FACS analysis of cultured cells ensured that the proliferating cells were indeed B cells. Taken together, these results demonstrate that SE are strong T-cell-dependent B-cell activators that, in some cases, can stimulate maturation of leukemic B cells which are refractory to other activation signals.
- Subjects
CHRONIC lymphocytic leukemia; T cells; B cells; STAPHYLOCOCCAL diseases; ENTEROTOXINS; HLA histocompatibility antigens; IMMUNOGLOBULIN G; STAPHYLOCOCCUS aureus
- Publication
Immunology, 1992, Vol 75, Issue 3, p420
- ISSN
0019-2805
- Publication type
Article