The effect of sera from chronic lymphocytic leukemia patients on normal mitogen-stimulated lymphocytes. A possible correlation with the patients' T and B lymphocytes.

Serum from chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) patients was examined for its effect on normal lymphocytes stimulated by phytohemagglutinin and pokeweed. Responses of the patients' lymphocytes were similarly examined. E and EAC rosettes were also tested. A significantly increased transformation response was found when normal lymphocytes were exposed to sera from those patients who had a reduced number of E-rosette-forming lymphocytes (mean 8%) as compared to the response to sera from patients with a higher number of E-rosette-forming cells. The results suggest that a factor is present in sera from some CLL patients which stimulates the transformation of mitogen-stimulated lymphocytes and which seems to be related to the number of the patient's T and B lymphocytes and perhaps with a T suppressor effect on B lymphocytes.