Imbalance in T-cell subsets of five children with congenital agammaglobulinemia and its effect on "in vitro" immunoglobulin synthesis.

OKT3, OKT4 and OKT8 monoclonal antibodies have been used to assess the number of total T cells and of some T-cell subpopulations in five children with Congenital Agammaglobulinemia. A significant increase in OKT8+ cells and parallel decrease in OKT4+ cells were observed in all patients, both as percentages and absolute numbers. by contrast there was no significant difference in the number of total T cells (OKT3+) and OKT3+ OKT4- OKT8- cells between patients and controls. Determinations were made of the synthesis of IgG and IgM by normal B cells cultured with T lymphocytes from patients stimulated by pokeweed mitogen. In all cases a significant decrease in Ig synthesis was observed. These results may be consistent with imbalance in the T regulatory subsets. However, a similar imbalance was observed in a healthy father of one patient, who had no other immunological defect. A normal distribution of T-cell subsets was observed in all the other relatives examined.