Cold lymphocytotoxins in infections and parasitic infestations

Lymphocytotoxic antibodies in primary biliary cirrhosis

Sera of 30 patients with primary biliary cirrhosis (PBC) and 72 normal subjects matched for age and sex were examined for the presence of lymphocytotoxic antibodies (LCAs) against B and T cells at 4 degrees C and 37 degrees C. Patients were prospectively screened for: Sjögren's syndrome, scleroderma, Hashimoto's thyroiditis, and rheumatoid arthritis, in which LCAs have been described. Seventeen patients with PBC (56.6%) had LCAs against B cells as compared with only 11 of the 72 normal subjects (P less than 0.001). Five PBC patients (16.6%) also reacted against T cells as compared with none in control group (P less than 0.01). Clinical and biochemical features and the histological stage of PBC were similar in patients with and without LCA. Sjögren's syndrome was present in 13 patients--two with scleroderma and another with Hashimoto's thyroiditis. No patient had rheumatoid arthritis. The prevalence of LCAs was similar in PBC patients with or without autoimmune associated disease (54% vs 59%). We conclude that in PBC a high incidence of LCA is unrelated to the presence of an associated disease. LCA in PBC might be a nonspecific marker of an immune disorder.

Autolymphocytotoxins in syphilis

Nineteen of 23 serum samples from patients with secondary syphilis, six of 24 from patients with primary syphilis, and four of seven from patients with early latent syphilis had complement-dependent autolymphocytotoxic reactivity at 15 degrees C. After treatment, the reactivity was decreased. It was not directed only against autologous lymphocytes but also against allogeneic lymphocytes. Sephadex G-200 gel filtration showed that the lymphocytotoxins were present in the IgM-containing exclusion peak. Furthermore, serum samples that had high antibody titres in the Reiter protein complement-fixation test or Wassermann-Kolmer reaction also had a high frequency of cold-reacting autolymphocytotoxins. This indicates that the autolymphocytotoxic reactivity is related to the humoral response in syphilis.

Non-HLA lymphocyte cytotoxins in various diseases

Cold non-HLA lymphocyte cytotoxins were found to be principally reactive against B lymphocytes. These antibodies were studied in 1335 patients with a wide range of diseases such as systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), rheumatoid arthritis (RA), scleroderma, Hashimoto's disease, asthma, diabetes, lymphoma, psoriasis, leukemia, multiple sclerosis, and also in healthy donors. Antibodies reactive to B lymphocytes in the cold or warm test conditions were not directed against HLA specificities. Since B lymphocytes differ from T lymphocytes principally in that they have surface immunoglobulin, it is postulated that at least one target antigen of cold lymphocyte cytotoxins is not a virus, infectious agent, or a genetically determined structural antigen, but, rather, simply immunoglobulin.

Absorption tests on cold lymphocytotoxins: preliminary report

Tests were carried out to absorb cold lymphocytotoxic antibodies on different types of cells. These included lymphocytes and neuraminidase-treated lymphocytes from healthy donors, thymocytes from children undergoing open heart surgery, fetal thymocytes, human brain and cultured lymphocytes. The results showed these antibodies to be absorbed on some types of cells and eluted from others. The best absorption was obtained with fetal thymocytes and brain tissue.

[Cold-lymphocytotoxic antibodies in the sera of cervix-carcinoma patients]

Sera of 120 patients with cervical cancer were screened for cold reacting, complement dependant autolympho-cytotoxins (CoCoCy). These antibodies occurred in 21,7% of the patients in comparison with 11,2% of 116 controls. The highest percentage of CoCoCy-antibodies was detected in the sera of patients with cervical cancer stage I (27,6%). Thus demonstration of CoCoCy-antibodies may be of pathogenetic rather than of diagnostic interest. CoCoCy-antibodies could be seen to reflect autoimmune reactions in cervical cancer.

Cold and warm antibodies and graft survival in kidney allograft recipients

Serial serum samples from 35 renal allograft recipients were screened for cold and warm cytotoxic antibodies using a two-stage microlymphocytotoxicity test with three incubation temperatures. Both cold and warm antibodies were reactive at 22 degrees C. The critical temperatures which distinguished the two classes of antibodies were 15 degrees C and 37 degrees C. Cold antibodies were detected in sera from 15 patients, 10 patients had warm antibodies, and the remaining 10 had a mixture of cold and warm antibodies. All the patients were cytotoxin-positive after transplantation, although not all had preformed lymphocytotoxins. At one year 14 of the patients with cold autoantibodies had functioning grafts, but only 3 of the 10 patients with warm antibodies had kidneys functioning. This difference was statistically highly significant. There was no difference in graft survival among patients with warm antibodies and those with a mixture of cold and warm antibodies.

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).

[Autolymphocytotoxins (CoCoCy) in different forms of hepatitis and cirrhosis (author's transl)]

Sera of altogether 282 patients with different forms of hepatitis and cirrhosis were screened for cold reacting complement dependant auto-lympho-cytotoxins (CoCoCy). These antibodies are 19S-IgM-immunoglobins and have no HLA-antigen-specificity. CoCoCy occurred in 48% of the patients with chronic aggressive hepatitis (CAH), in 14% of the patients with chronic persistent hepatitis (CPH) and in intermediate rates in the sera of patients with acute hepatitis. No correlations was found between CoCoCy and hepatitis B-antigen (HB-Ag). CoCoCy could be demonstrated also in 20% of the sera of a HB-Ag-positive and in 6% of a HB-Ag-negative control group. The serum concentration of CoCoCy is low. CoCoCy seems to be of T-cell-specificity and to reflect the overall-immunoreactivity without relation to the specificity of the antigenic stimulus. Thus demonstration of CoCoCy may be of pathogeneic and pathodynamic rather than of diagnostic interest.

Lymphocytotoxins in vasectomized men

Serum samples before and after vasectomy were examined for cold and allogeneic lymphocytotoxic antibodies. The techniques used did not demonstrate a significant increase in the incidence of these antibodies following vasectomy.