Interleukin-2 receptor is functionally linked with in vitro activation of B cells isolated from non-Hodgkin's lymphomas.

Proliferation and differentiation of B cells can be promoted by a number of inducing factors, including interleukin-2 (IL-2). In vitro-stimulated normal B cells usually express IL-2 receptors (TAC). Furthermore, it has been reported that some minor sub-populations of B cells in normal lymphoid tissue also express TAC antigen, as do some leukemic B cells. In the present study, the reactivity of 20 specimens of non-Hodgkin's lymphoma or B-cell origin was examined for a wide panel of monoclonal antibodies (MAb), including an anti-TAC MAb. The ability of the isolated and purified B cells to proliferate in the presence of B-cell mitogens and culture supernatants (containing various growth factors, including IL-2) was also investigated. These experiments provided some evidence that the TAC-negative cells remained unreactive, whereas the TAC-positive cells entered the cell cycle and proliferated. IL-2 responsiveness of neoplastic B cells is therefore discussed.