THE ROLE OF SERUM FACTORS IN THE LYMPHOCYTE TRANSFORMATION TEST OF CHILDREN WITH ACUTE LEUKAEMIA

ABSTRACT. Révész, T., Szigeti, R. and Schuler, D. (Second Department of Paediatrics, Semmelweis University Medical School, Budapest, Hungary). The role of serum factors in the lymphocyte transformation test of children with acute leukaemia. Acta Paediatr Scand, 63: 715, 1974.—PHA-induced lymphocyte transformation tests were carried out in 14 children who were in full remission of acute lymphoblastic leukaemia and in 12 controls. Stimulation was assessed on the basis of tritiated thymidine uptake. For an adequate testing of lymphocyte reactivity, dose-response curves were established for each child. No significant difference could be observed in either the maximum response, or the shape of the curve, between the leukaemic and the control groups. Supplementation of the culture medium with autologous plasma instead of AB serum did not result in any significant inhibition or stimulation of lymphocyte reactivity to PHA. The lymphocyte response of both leukaemic and control children, however, was greatly reduced when sera from untreated leukaemic children was used. Allogeneic sera drawn from patients in remission exerted little or no inhibitory effect, while that obtained in relapse was again more inhibitory. The observed effect was not due to cytotoxic antibodies, nor due to natural iso-antibodies, but is thought to be a phenomenon closely connected with the active phase of malignant diseases. The exact nature of the agent is still far from being clarified at present.