Long-term culture of lymph node tissue from a patient with lymphocytic lymphoma. II. Preliminary ultrastructural, immunofluorescence and cytogenetic studies

Inhibition of human lymphoma cell-line colony formation by lymphocytes from patients with lymphoma and cancer hospital employees

Inhibition of human lymphoma cell-line colony formation (ICF) was induced by peripheral blood lymphocytes (PBL) from patients with lymphoma and apparently healthy cancer hospital personnel. PBL from patients with non-lymphoma neoplasms and from normal blood bank donors did not elicit ICF. ICF was most marked when PBL were cocultivated for 24 hours in a ratio of 1000:I with target lymphoma cells that had been cultured for 24 hours before exposure. No significant ICF was observed when target cells consisted of human neurogenic sarcoma, melanoma, colon adenocarcinoma, or Chinese hamster cells. It is possible that ICF is elicited by PBL sensitized to a cross-reacting antigen present on the membrane of cultured lymphoma cells. This antigen may be synthesized by a transmissible etiologic factor.

Identification and subcellular localization of a sarcoma-associated antigen(s) in a human cell line

The present investigation was designed to demonstrate and identify the subcellular localization of sarcoma-associated antigen(s) (TAA) in an established human neurogenic sarcoma line (T cell line). Indirect immunofluorescence was used to screen sera from patients with sarcoma, nonsarcoma neoplasias, and from presumably normal blood bank donors. The positive sera were submitted to a series of absorptions to remove possible nonspecific cross-reacting antibodies. The target cells were then studied with electron microscopy, utilizing the indirect immunoperoxidase technique to determine the subcellular localization of the sarcoma-associated antigen(s). Findings indicate that sarcoma-bearing patients have circulating antisarcoma antibodies directed to antigen(s) localized at the surface membrane of T cells. These antibodies pertain to the IgM or IgG immunoglobulin class. The exact nature of the sarcoma-associated antigen(s) identified in this study is not known at the present time. However, the results obtained strongly suggest that these substances may represent a new type of tumor-associated antigen(s).

Chromosomes and transformation of lymphocytes in lymphoproliferative disorders

In chronic lymphocytic leukaemia the majority of circulating lymphocytes which responded to phytohaemagglutinin in vitro were found to have normal karyotypes. A minor population of cells in patients treated with chemotherapy had an increased number of chromosomal rearrangements as compared with cells from normal controls and untreated patients with chronic lymphocytic leukaemia. Probably bonemarrow and lymph-node cells also had a normal karyotype.In the other lymphoproliferative disorders the peripheral blood lymphocytes had either normal karyotypes or chromosomal abnormalities attributable to treatment, even in those cases where the tumour cells of involved lymph nodes were known to have abnormal karyotypes.It was possible that circulating tumour cells were present in one case.